Caregivers affected by the regulations
Caregivers might be facing a different problem altogether since they will be facing some new rules as well. In example, let’s say you’re a caregiver who has a sick wife at home and you’re doing all the medical marijuana cultivation and dropping by the dispensary to pick up her medicine, etc. Well, up until now, you could do all that even if you were convicted of a felony, presumably if the felony wasn’t drug related. However, now if you were convicted of any felony or even assault in the last ten years, you cannot qualify for a caregiver. The downside of this rule is that if you fit the felony/assault profile, you legally wouldn’t be allowed to take care of your wife anymore nor could you go to the dispensary and pick up her medication. On the upside, restrictions like these can have a positive effect on the crime rate in the state.
Storage restrictions
Storage of medical marijuana is facing some changes as well. For instance, if you’re riding around with a valid driver’s license, you should take care of that marijuana package you have in store. You will do this by putting the medical marijuana in a separate container and then in the trunk of your motor vehicle. The premise of this rule is a bit literal: we have to stop marijuana getting into the wrong hands and therefore we have to restrict its accessibility. That’s why they made up this babushka system.
What will the changes bring?
It seems that the people who disagree most with Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Law are the ones who are pretty much responsible for implementing it. The legislators said recently that the Act is poorly written and therefore widely open for interpretation, making it really easy for a recreational user to obtain a prescription from his “medical professional”.
With all these soon to be implemented changes, the state hopes to give some weight and credit to medical marijuana cards. Up until now, everyone was thinking you could walk into a doctor’s office with a strained back and get some weed. However, with these new upgraded requirements, the card shouldn’t be taken lightly. This will also prevent some random doctor of riding into town, giving out prescriptions and then fleeing the scene like a criminal, only to move on to the next city where he can charge a lot more than $100.
Whats next for Michigan?
Well, according to the Supreme Court Ruling in January, 2013, Michigan is now facing an entirely different problem. Under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Law from 2008, it’s supposedly illegal to open up a dispensary in Michigan. Yes, we know that’s ludicrous and makes no sense whatsoever. But Michigan is not the only one with legal discrepancies. A lot of the states are having problems because the state and federal legislation are not harmonized. In fact, even local laws sometimes have an advantage over federal and state laws which is most evident in the recent zoning bans in Massachusetts.
What do you think; will Michigan prove to be a positive example amidst all these regulatory changes that seem to be happening across the U.S.?
I would love to know where I can purchase a medical marijuana card in my area. Inkster, Michigan