In late September, Governor Rick Snyder signed three bills into law that significantly amended the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. These bills addressed unique areas of the law that have caused issues for medical marihuana patients and caregivers — ever since the law was enacted by voters in 2008.
These areas of the law previously resulted in criminal charges and convictions for many individuals who were simply trying to use medical marijuana in a manner that provided the best and most efficient care.
While all areas of these laws will be important, two specific areas were addressed that had resulted in many criminal prosecutions. The new statute will create a Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act to license and regulate the growth, processing, transport and provisioning of medical marijuana. Prior to the new law, patients were required to either grow their own medical marihuana or obtain it from a registered caregiver.
The law also permits the operation of dispensaries. This should provide patients with better access to medical marijuana and will allow dispensaries to operate without concern of state involvement in the sale of medical marijuana to qualified patients.
Additionally, the recent legislation now permits the manufacture and use of marijuana-infused products by qualified patients — commonly referred to as edibles. Many medical marijuana patients preferred to use the medicine in a manner other than smoking, but were limited by the application of the act. Those patients were charged with possessing controlled substance analogues since the edibles were not permitted. The new law eliminates these issues and provides for use of marijuana-infused products by qualified patients.
There are many aspects of these new laws that will be important to medical marijuana patients. At Willey & Chamberlain, our lawyers have represented many individuals using medical marihuana who ended up charged criminally. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to call one of our experienced medical marijuana attorneys today.
For more information about the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, or to speak with one of the medical marijuana attorneys at Willey & Chamberlain, please contact us here or call us at 616.458.2212.