Ann Arbor Criminal Defense Blog
Dispensaries will be the centerpiece of the new Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act. Dispensaries (technically called provisioning centers) will be able to sell medical marijuana to an unlimited number of patients.
December 15 is the first date licenses for new medical marijuana industry positions can be obtained.
Five New Marijuana Jobs
The MMFLA creates five new marijuana industry roles.
- Marijuana Growers – People licensed to grow marijuana on a much larger scale than currently allowed. Licenses will be available to growers in the amount of 500, 1,000, and 1,500 plants. In addition, it is expected that growers will be able to obtain multiple licenses. The growers can provide marijuana only to provisioning centers.
- Marijuana Processors – These people will create marijuana-infused products, such as brownies, medibles, etc.
- Secure Transporters – Drivers who store and transport marijuana products and money moved between facilities. There must be two-person crews in each vehicle.
- Provisioning Centers – The facilities providing marijuana to patients. Informally known as dispensaries.
- Safety Compliance Facilities – Laboratories testing the marijuana to determine amounts of THC, levels of pesticides, and other quality purposes.
Medical Marijuana Act v. Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act
The original Michigan Medical Marijuana Act from 2008 provided for small scale production. A caregiver could grow 12 plants per patient for up to five patients, with an additional 12 plants to keep themselves.
The caregiver-patient model will not change under the new law. Caregivers growing for their patients may continue to do so.
However, the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act will make medical marijuana into a much larger business. A regulatory state complete with extensive new rules are established for the new medical marijuana business.
Marijuana Big Business
Licenses, compliance costs, and start-up capital will be expensive. The MMFLA requirements will likely keep your small-time neighborhood weed grower out of the new industry.
Eye to the Future?
Michigan voters may decide on legal weed next November. The rules going into place now may be the framework for a recreational marijuana industry.
The rules developed to regulate the medical marijuana industry are extensive. The Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation established 51 emergency rules on December 1. The first round of rules makes the original medical marijuana rules pale in comparison.
The original Michigan Medical Marijuana Act resulted in a decade of litigation on nearly every aspect of the law.
The ballot initiative for legal weed is currently 18 pages long.
Contact Us
Call Sam Bernstein at 734-883-9584 or e-mail at bernstein@arborypsilaw.com.
ArborYpsi Law is located at 2750 Carpenter Rd #2, Ann Arbor, MI 48108.
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