The weekday afternoon I visited the facility Trans Love looked like a construction area inside. Wood and a guy who called himself Oak were putting in a kitchen and a bathroom, both with marble counters. Subfloors were exposed in a few areas waiting to be finished. There weren't any club members around although Wood says they could come in if they wanted. He has a schedule for when members, caregivers and prospective members can come in. Members can drop in from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Members can procure medication at the site. Caregivers who have produced more than their patient can use can unload the overage there from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

"We don't want them to mix with each other," says Wood. "Parking lot deals cause danger. I'm trying to provide a safe place where people can procure their medication."

Wood emphasizes that Trans Love is a private club, and the construction, slated to be done this week, focuses on that aspect. The new kitchen will serve meals (medicated and non-medicated) to members, prepared by three different chefs who work two days a week each. There is a partially covered outdoor courtyard with a small stage and room to accommodate about 40 or 50 people. Wood, whose other enterprise, Detroit Life (detroitlife313.com), is an artist management and publicity company, plans to have bands, poetry readings and the like in the courtyard. There will also be classes on how to build a grow room, cultivation and cooking with marijuana. When there is no entertainment folks will be able to watch cable TV on the courtyard screen.

"We don't have to push bud," says Wood. "Bud sells itself."

As we move forward in the medical marijuana world, and with the chance that Detroiters will decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana by adults on private property this fall, many are looking for a business model that works in their municipality — and under the shadow of a hostile state attorney general. People's Choice has opted for the small, no nonsense retail outlet where you buy your meds and go home. Trans Love looks more like the kind of place that has the anti-marijuana gang sweating. It's a place where club members access medication, entertainment, and learn about cultivation and cooking in a safe atmosphere.

You can choose your own medicine.

Larry Gabriel is a writer, musician and former editor of Metro Times. Send comments to letters@metrotimes.com.

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