Law Michigan MMJ

[Baron23]

Michigan orders more than 200 medical marijuana businesses to shut down

More than 200 medical marijuana businesses across the state, most of them in Detroit, have received cease and desist letters from the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in the last two weeks, telling the owners to shut down or risk becoming ineligible for a license to continue operating or even be busted by law enforcement.

The list — 210 medical marijuana shops — includes 159 Detroit businesses and eight each in Lansing and Flint. Another five came from Gaylord and the rest are scattered across the state from Traverse City to Niles.


The List

Compassionate Caregivers 2301 S. Otsego Ave., Gaylord MI 49735
Gaylord Provisions 115 S. Wisconsin Ave., Gaylord MI 49735
Natural Remedies 1349 S. Otsego Ave. Suite 1, Gaylord MI 49735
Superior Green Collective 1699 S. Otsego Suite 1, Gaylord MI 49735
All Well Natural Health 845 S Otsego Ave., Gaylord MI 49735
Northern Lights Provisioning Center LLC 325 North Mt. Tom Road, Suite B, Mio MI 48647
Center For Compassion 733 East 8th St., Suite 110, Traverse City MI 49684
The Grassy Knoll 1407 Robinson Rd SE, Grand Rapids MI
Muskegon Medical Marijuana Dispensary 1377 E. Sherman Blvd, Norton Shores MI 49444
Galley Girlz/Moonbeats Mobile 116 E. Isabella, Muskegon MI 49442
Mother Natures Meds 3C 1407 W. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek MI
Western Michigan Alternative Medical Solutions 113 S. Union St., Battle Creek MI 49017
Battle Creek Compassionate Care 1039 W. Territorial Rd., Battle Creek MI 49015
Lakeshore Alternatives 6155 Blue Star Hwy., Saugatuck MI 49453
This and That 2575 111th, Suite C., Allegan MI
CDXX Boutique 11925 Marsh Rd., Ste B, Shelbyville MI
The Blue Door MI 11446 Chief Noonday Rd., Middleville MI
Patient Soluntions Provision Center 1169 26th St., Allegan MI
Cannabliss Compassionate Club 95th 60th St., Grand Junction MI 49056
Seven Leaves Compassion Club 1046 Bell Rd., Niles MI 49120
Deez Nugs 402 S. Dort Hwy., Flint MI
3389 S. Huron LLC 3389 S. Huron, Bangor MI 48706
Tru Greenz 1487 M-30, Gladwin MI 48624
Medmarket 10040 N. Dort Hwy., Clio MI 48420
The Greenery Wellness Center 122 W. State, Montrose MI 48457
Five Star Relief, Inc. 1327 E. Franic Rd., Mt. Morrris MI 48458
We Grow North 276 E. State, Montrose MI 48457
Two Guy Grow Shop 3374 E. Atherton Rd., Burton MI 48509
Green Rock Café 3408 S. Dort Hwy., Flint MI 48507
MMMR 3549 S. Dort Hwy., Flint MI 48507
Roots Disensaries 3557 Wilder Rd., Bay City, MI 48706
Genesee Harvest Co. 6200 N. Dort Hwy., Flint MI
Your Relief Center 721 N. State Rd., Davison MI 48423
Green Rx 910 N. Vernon, Flint MI 48506
Holistic Earth Delivery 3100 Center Rd., Flint MI 48506
Greenway's 241 Hawthorne Dr., Beaverton MI 48612
No name 15520 E. Warren Rd., Detroit MI
Uptown Meds 19123 W. 7 Mile, Detroit MI 48123
Starbuds-MJ, LLC 15512 W. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
Mind Right 17243 Mack Ave., Detroit MI 48224
Green Harvest Caregivers 15797 Mack Ave., Detroit MI
West Coast Meds 8620 Lyndon, Detroit MI
Team Strong Relief Center 15435 Mack Ave., Detroit MI
Nagle Properties, LLC 318 E. Milwaukee, Detroit MI
The Green Easy 19737 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Greener Things 19741 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Southfield Investment Holdings 19514 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Pete Lyders 20540 Grand River Ave., Detroit MI
River Health Collective 24649 Grand River Ave., Detroit MI
The Medical Bud MMCC 18428 Grand River Ave., Detroit MI
Essence of Detroit Care Center 2 / Premier Holding LLC 12900 E. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Roots of Nature 18925 Grand River, Detroit MI 48223
No Name 16929 Schoolcraft, Detroit MI
Chronic Kingdom 17570 Chester, Detroit MI
No Name 2627 John R., Detroit MI
Nature's + 6162 Michigan Ave., Detroit MI
City Wellness Group 6224-26 Lonyo, Detroit MI
Ciga 8226 Michigan Ave., Detroit MI
Grassroots Detroit 20851 Plymouth Rd., Detroit MI
Utopia Gardens, LLC 4400 Oakman Blvd., Detroit MI
Little Amsterdam Detroit 14400 Woodrow Wilson, Detroit MI
Kesh, LLC 11931 Gunston, Detroit MI
Casmere Properties 5820 Nevada, Detroit MI
No name 1565 Chernoneau Place, Detroit MI
Motor City Wellness 471 S. Schaefer Hwy., Detroit MI
Davison Wellness LLC 13120 Livernois Ave., Detroit MI
Calm & Collective 12060 Grand River, Detroit MI
CBD Gardens 8417 8 Mile Road West, Detroit MI
No Name 19645 Mound, Detroit MI
Chalfonte Wellness LLC 15001 Livernois Ave., Detroit MI
Code Green 15500 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48205
Greener Crossing 20515 Hoover St., Detroit MI 48205
Indicanna Holistic Center 13898 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48205
Sativa Caregiver Center 75577 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48221
D. Tribute 18830 Woodward Ave., Detroit MI 48203
Motown Wellness 16103 W. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
The Cookie Jar 14801 Livernois Ave., Detroit MI
Firehouse Collective 8941 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Chronic Kingdom 6 10133 W. McNichols, Detroit MI
No name 3330 Joy Rd., Detroit MI
Aromatic Herbal Center 18443 Livernois, Detroit MI 48152
May Seman 15930 Livernois Ave., Detroit MI
The Strain Station 9216 Dexter Ave., Detroit MI 48206
SBKS, LLC 8435 Livernois, Detroit MI
Conant Relief 19735 Conant Ave., Detroit MI
The Green Thumb Relief 12116 Conant Ave., Detroit MI
Green Cure 18002 Woodward Ave., Detroit MI
313 Wellness Center 4847 Livernois Ave., Detroit MI
No Name 13707 W. McNichols, Detroit MI
Gumma Brothers Investment Group 13954 Stansbury, Detroit MI
MAH Land Company 10371 Northlawn, Detroit MI
The Green Room 8100 Lyndon, Detroit MI
817 West Grand, LLC 815 W. Grand Boulevard, Detroit MI
MelloD 8100 Radcliffe, Suite B, Detroit MI
Kanna Care 7615 W. Vernor Hwy., Detroit MI 48209
Michigan Relief Consulting 1918 Springwells, Detroit MI
Green Leaf Extended Care 3414 Joy Rd., Detroit MI
KuzhZone Medical Relief Center 4233 Joy Rd., Detroit MI
Detriot Cannabis Club 10539 Joy Rd., Detroit MI
Mile High Awareness & Wellness Center 24520 W. McNichols, Detroit MI 48219
Motorcity Care 2717 S. Schaefer, Detroit MI
Forbidden Fruits 15070 Schaefer Hwy., Detroit MI
Fuego 12632 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48205
Motor City Good Vibes Dispensary 22023 Fenkell Ave., Detroit MI 48223
Roots Shoots & Flowers LLC 13110 W. Chicago, Detroit MI
Green Leaf 13125 W. Chicago, Detroit MI
Green Field Medz, Inc. 8010 Greenfield, Detroit MI
Medical Green Cross 18041 Greenfield, Detroit MI
Karma Investments 20550 Hoover St., Detroit MI
Top Dollar Holdings LLC 9635 French Rd., Detroit MI
Midwest Genetics 16124 Moross, Detroit MI 48224
Travka LLC 19150 Kelly Rd., Detroit MI
No Name 11801 Morang, Detroit MI
Katoro, Inc. 18901 Kelly Rd., Detroit MI
19156 Kelly LLC 19156 Kelly Rd., Detroit MI
Hello Wellness 18207 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48219
Capital Healing 2442 Riopelle, Detroit MI
Riverside Meds 7311 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit MI
ADA East 16555 Harper Ave., Detroit MI 48224
Med Stop 19344 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Jerk Island 18935 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Mr Smiley 15245 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
S & G Universal, LLC 7330 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
No Name 19339 Van Dyke Ave., Detroit MI
VMA LLC 7811 Gratiot, Detroit MI
No Name 7435 Gratiot, Detroit MI
Green Pharm 7455 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI
Kelly's Clinic 13644 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI
Essence of Detroit Care Center/Premier Holding LLC 13900 Gratiot, Detroit MI
Materialistik Elite 14557 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI
The Flower Shop Wellness Center 14366 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI
Helping Hands Holisitic Center 20245 Van Dyke Ave., Detroit MI 48234
Materialistik Elite 7727 E. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
CMR Wellness 8110 E. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
No Name 9500 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
DANK GODZ 13014 Gratiot Ave., Detroit MI
The Giving Tree of Detroit, LLC 8411 Southfield Fwy., Detroit MI
TA #1 15545 Mack Ave., Detroit MI
Ronald Samson 19790 James Couzens, Detroit MI
Green World Wellness Center 16060 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48205
CBD Releaf Shop 22228 Van Born Rd., Dearborn Heights MI 48125
Green Solutions 1258 S. Commerce, Walled Lake MI
Medical Herbal Essence 18450 Morang, Detroit MI
Connoisseur Collective 20516 Van Dyke Ave., Detroit MI 48234
Detroit Grass Station 2930 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit MI 48202
Gardendale Collective 3845 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48221
Green Soul Wellness 22635 Plymouth Rd., Detroit MI 48239
Motor City Mile High 18935 Telegraph Rd., Detroit MI 48219
PUR 16738 E. Warren Ave., Detroit MI 48224
The House and Company 18915 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit MI 48219
MDCC 5489 Perry Dr., Suite D, Waterford MI 48325
Green Cure Wellness LLC 1620 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
17425 Sherwood, LLC 17425 Sherwood, Detroit MI
State Fair Medical Relief 1305 E. State Fair, Detroit MI
Detroit Cannabis Club 600 E. State Fair, Detroit MI
A & Z 13510 LLC 13510 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Top Dollar Holdings LLC 15880 8 Mile, Detroit MI
Natural Heal, Inc 1678 (aka 1680) E. Grand Blvd., Detroit MI
Coast to Coast, LLC 1410 Atlas, Detroit MI
10023 Fort Street LLC 10023 W. Fort St., Detroit MI
Northern Lights Holistic Center 14421 Plymouth Rd., Detroit MI
My Family Trees 15734 Plymouth Rd., Detroit MI
Humbolt Wellness 19138 W. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
Green Genie Inc. 20046 W. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
Lisa Doss 22310 W. Warren, Detroit MI
15430 LLC 15400 Wyoming, Detroit MI
Nature's Stress Releaf / 8 Mile Chronic 3840 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
No Name 15514 W. Warren, Detroit MI
Green Acres Collective 22350 W. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
No Name 16890 Telegraph, Detroit MI
The Treehouse Club 10325 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
The Clinic Detroit 13815 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Sativa Detroit, LLC 7577 W. Eight Mile Rd., Detroit
No Name 8200 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Let It Be Green, LLC 19331 Mt. Elliott, Detroit MI
No Name 19303-321 Mt. Elliott, Detroit MI
Alledged MMF 12718 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Plyburt LLC 13624 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
No Name 13710 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Detroit House of Meds LLC 12541 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
8 & Gratiot Avenue Natural Health 15038 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Far East Holistic Center 16094 E. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Lisa A Burnett 14411 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit MI
No Name 1600 Clay Bldg., Suite 214, Bldg 2, Detroit MI
Michigan Relief Consulting 3317 S. Fort, Detroit MI
No Name 8942 W. Fort St., Detroit MI
No Name 1411 Holden, Detroit MI
Davison Wellness LLC 2694 W. Davison, Detroit MI
Stephen Trentacosta 17838 E. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
The Pointe Alternative, LLC 18535 E. Warren Ave., Detroit MI
Greenside Collective, Inc 16196 Telegraph Rd., Detroit MI
The Green Mile 18433 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Peace of Amsterdam 18665 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Bohemian Club 24251 W. McNichols, Detroit MI
Meltwaine Dukes 7105 W. McNichols, Detroit MI
Cloud Nine / Flower Depot 14501 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Club Medz, LLC 8201 W. 8 Mile Rd., Detroit MI
Our Friendly Gardens 2130 Apollo Dr., Lansing MI
Patients First Inc 1119 Main St., Lansing MI
First Property Holdings LLC 2015 N. Larch, Lansing MI
The Lansing Botanical Co/First Class Releaf 4215 N Grand River Ave, Lansing
Wellness Lansing LLC 807 Lake Lansing Rd., Suite B and C, Lansing MI
The Green Door 410 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor MI
TC MI MFG LLC 3940 Varsity Dr., Ann Arbor MI
1520 CAVANAUGH LLC 1520 E. Cavanaugh St., Lansing MI
The Lansing Market 918 Southland, Lansing MI 48910
Capital Dank 1202 S Washington St,Lansing
Ann Arbor Apothecary 811 N. Main, Ann Arbor MI 48104
Genesee Compassion Club 6340 N. Genesee, Genesee Township
Vehicle City Social 3166 Comer Road, Flint, MI

 

[momofthegoons]

@Baron23 that was a tough one to like...

A few of those were closed a while ago... Greenside Collective closed last year. That was the first dispensary I ever went to. But there are a few dispensaries on that list that surprised me. Damn.

 

[Baron23]

@Baron23 that was a tough one to like...

A few of those were closed a while ago... Greenside Collective closed last year. That was the first dispensary I ever went to. But there are a few dispensaries on that list that surprised me. Damn.

Yeah, I bet it was hard to like. Here our program is just gaining steam and in MI you seem to be going backwards. Awful, truly awful and a testiment to the quality of our professional political class and their bureaucratic minions.

 

[Baron23]

Hey @momofthegoons , is that you in the pic below? Kind of looks like your style in nail polish!



Medical marijuana to make budtenders in high demand in Michigan

With medical marijuana on the cusp of becoming a bona fide industry in Michigan, the people who educate customers and sell the product in dispensaries — budtenders in marijuana lingo — will be in high demand.

Across the state, as dispensaries prepare to open, owners will be seeking hundreds of workers to be the sales force and consultants for medical marijuana patients. And this won't be your typical retail job.

While a doctor approves patients for a medical marijuana card, it’s the budtenders who will help them figure out which marijuana product might work best for them. Different strains of marijuana produce different effects, for example. And marijuana-infused edibles, concentrates and drinks take different amounts of time to kick in.

The budtender helps customers determine what might work best for them. Classes being taught both in a classroom setting and online are designed to teach those wanting to enter the business the skills of the trade.

More on Freep.com:

Michigan orders more than 200 medical marijuana businesses to shut down

Medical marijuana business bids backing up: Michigan adds more licensing meetings

Feds unlikely to pursue Michigan medical marijuana, but treasury will

“Edibles break down differently in the system, so I’ll talk about how long it takes an edible to be active or noticeable in the system and how long it stays in the system,” said Farrah Vorhauer of Durango, Colo., who, along with Rosie Yagielo, one of the owners of HempStaff, a Florida-based company that provides cannabis classes, traveled to Romulus in February to teach two, four-hour classes to more than 50 Michiganders who are hoping to get a job in medical marijuana sales.

The women teach about the plant and how the three main families of cannabis — indica, sativa and ruderalis, along with hundreds of strains derived from them — work to treat different symptoms. Sativa, for example, is better for stimulating appetite, reducing nausea and energizing while indica can be used as a sleep aid and is a pain and stress reliever. The less abundant and cultivated ruderalis has a faster growing cycle but lower concentrations of the psychoative ingredient THC. It's sometimes crossed with sativa or indica to encourage faster grows.

The women also teach about cannabanoids — the class of compounds in cannabis —many of which are used in creams, oils and capsules to treat chronic pain without the “high” often associated with marijuana. Many of these products don’t contain mind-altering THC.

“It's the only time we get to choose our own medication,” Yagielo said. “The doctor gives you a recommendation … (but) you get to choose what you put in your body.”

In addition to the classes in person, there are dozens of online courses for people looking for budtender training, ranging in price from $119 to $300. A certificate usually comes at the end of the training, but the piece of paper isn't a requirement or a guarantee of a job.

Michigan’s sales for medical marijuana are expected to be more than $700 million when the market is fully developed, with that number rising significantly if recreational use is passed by voters and legalized this fall. The state Board of Canvassers is currently examining petitions to see whether there are enough valid signatures to put a recreational marijuana use proposal on the November ballot.

All of that translates into jobs. Currently, there are at least 165,000 workers in marijuana businesses across the country, according to MJBiz Daily, a newsletter that tracks the marijuana industry.

In Colorado, the most established marijuana market in the country with 1,031 dispensaries, 1,471 grow operations and 515 processors, 38,121 people have cannabis careers.

In the state of Washington, which has 465 dispensaries, 1,115 grow operations and 253 processors, 10,894 people are employed in the business, including 3,978 in dispensaries, according to the Washington State Institute for Public Policy.

And in Nevada, where recreational sales began on July 1, 2017, 6,700 people have jobs in the industry, including at the state’s 61 dispensaries, mostly in and around Las Vegas, according to the Nevada Dispensary Association.

The average wage for dispensary workers, Yagielo said, is $12 to $14 an hour, but it has gone higher in both Washington and Nevada.

While Michigan has dispensaries that have been operating in a legal gray area since voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana in 2008, the number of employees working in those businesses isn’t known. That’s about to change when the state begins handing out licenses next month that will regulate and tax the businesses.

Moderation and professionalism
Angie Roullier hopes to become one of the plant’s most passionate ambassadors.

The West Bloomfield Township woman went from being nearly sidelined by symptoms of muscular dystrophy — spasms, fatigue, kidney stones and increasing weakness over 30 years — to becoming an avid supporter for medical marijuana use after it helped her manage her symptoms. She’s now a thriving entrepreneur, consulting with businesses hoping to break into the marijuana industry.

And once the Green House dispensary in Walled Lake gets its license from the state, she’ll become the team leader there, teaching the staff about budtending.

“This industry changes so fast and so often that you really have to stay on top of it,” she said.

Moderation is one of the things she preaches.

“My biggest thing with new cannabis patients is low and slow. If you take an edible and you just had a huge spaghetti dinner, it could take up to two hours for that to kick in,” she said. “And people get impatient and they think it’s not working, so they eat more and the next thing you know, it’s Tuesday.”

In their classes, Yagielo and Vorhauer not only deal with the properties of marijuana and the products derived from the plant, but about the professionalism needed to work in a medical marijuana dispensary.

“I spend a lot of time in that room trying to tell them be professional … don’t use the terms pot and weed,” Yagielo said. “Because walking into a dispensary, expecting it to look like a head shop with a big old leaf on your shirt, those days are gone.”

The business is one of the fastest growing industries in the nation as more states pass laws legalizing marijuana for either medical or recreational use. Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing medical marijuana, including eight states and D.C. that have legalized marijuana for adult recreational use.

BDS Analytics, which tracks the marijuana industry, reported $9 billion in marijuana sales in 2017 and that was before California started its recreational market in January, which is expected to reach $3.7 billion in 2018.

Enthusiasm comes from experience
While business owners have to undergo an extensive background check by the state, there are few requirements for the employees who work in dispensaries.

They have to pass a criminal background check by their employer. If they have no controlled substance-related felony convictions in the last 10 years, the prospective employee is good to go. Records of those background checks must be updated and maintained by the business owner and made available to the state during pre-licensure and subsequent inspections.

The owner also must have employees study a training manual that includes safety procedures, employee guidelines, security protocols and educational material.

For people doing the training, their enthusiasm comes from experience.

Roullier, who already has developed 100 pages worth of marijuana information for her training manual, is ready to share her success. After dealing with the muscle spasms, fatigue and increasing weakness from muscular dystrophy that was first diagnosed when she was 16, she was ready to try something different.

“My kidneys were starting to shut down and my doctors told me that’s about right after 30 years of medication,” she said.

But without the medications, her medical marijuana provider told her there was a different path to pain free.

Roullier had smoked marijuana occasionally over the years and had gotten some relief from her symptoms, so when medical marijuana was approved by Michigan voters in 2008, she was one of the first in line to get a card that allowed her to use the cannabis legally.

“It took me about a year to wean myself off absolutely everything,” she said, referring to all the medications she had been taking. “I had been taking close to 12 pills a day — everything from beta blockers to opioids, which was no joke, that one was the hardest. Now when I go to the doctor, I’m proud to have to only put cannabis in the subject line when I have to list my medications.”

The muscle spasticity is mostly gone, the Charley horses have stopped, her kidneys have resumed normal functioning and the fuzzy head has disappeared. “I don’t feel like garbage all the time.”

For Vorhauer, marijuana helped ease the pain from arthritis in her lower back, as well as help with anxiety attacks. She started shopping at a dispensary in Colorado six years ago and ended up taking a $10 an hour job two days a week at the store.

The part-time job turned into being the full-time manager at the dispensary, then taking a leadership position at a grow operation.

“I was a having a conversation with a friend of mine who asked what I wanted to do in the future and I said ‘I want to change people’s minds about cannabis,' ” she said, adding she got the job offer from HempStaff at about the same time.

“I can’t believe they’re paying me to educate people,” she said. “To do it on a larger scale is really amazing.”

A chance at a new start
To work in the marijuana business at any level is a goal for Tristan Kohlhoff, who flips houses in Detroit, but returns home to Standish on the weekends.

He took the HempStaff class in Ohio last year, but also went to the Romulus class for a second go-around in February, with the goal of learning more about Michigan’s new regulated market and the best way to determine what type of marijuana a cardholder needs. He’s working with a dispensary in Omer, a tiny town in northeast Michigan that prides itself in being the state’s smallest city with a population of 313, as it gears up to open if and when it receives a license from the state.

“You could really help people by implementing the right doses,” he said. “You start out at $10 an hour, but you don’t do it to chase the money. It’s really about helping people get a better quality of life.”

For Nicole England of Southfield and Kim Phillips-Wood of Macomb Township, the class became a part of the cousins’ journey to educate themselves before totally changing careers and embarking on a new venture as a marijuana processing business, which turns marijuana into edibles, creams, oils, capsules and suppositories.

“We’re still in the beginning phase of this. We’re just doing our homework and the next step is to learn how to make the products,” said England, who was recently laid off from her job as an IT program manager. “This is not the first time I’ve been laid off, so this would give me the opportunity to go in a different direction that’s going to be a booming adventure.”

Phillips-Wood echoed that sentiment, saying she wants to become an entrepreneur “and make all the decisions.”

“I was actually doing business management for years … but I’ve been thinking what do I like? What’s my passion? And then this came around, and I thought this is something I could do.”

And if they get into business now, the cousins hope they will be able to capitalize on an even bigger boom if marijuana gets legalized for recreational use.

“To get out in front of it is what’s really exciting too,” Phillips-Wood said. “There is a lot of money to be made.”

Indeed, in Colorado, recreational marijuana sales grew from $683.5 million in 2014 to $1.5 billion last year. In Washington state, sales were $1.3 billion last year, and in Nevada, sales were $195 milllion in just the first six months of its legalized market.

 

[momofthegoons]

Hey @momofthegoons , is that you in the pic below? Kind of looks like your style in nail polish!

Lmao.... how observant of you! And... now wouldn't you like to know....?

Nope.

 

[momofthegoons]

Hashbash is this weekend. A little info for anyone planning on going......

It’s April 2018 and the 47th annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash is just around the corner. If you are attending you should know the laws of the city and the State of Michigan.


The U of M Student Legal Services provides an overview of the City of Ann Arbor laws regarding possession of Marijuana.


To quote the website…

“It is illegal to possess, use, or sell marijuana. In the City of Ann Arbor, a violation of this law is considered a civil infraction, punishable by a fine of $25 for the first offense.

However, while on the University of Michigan’s property, state law is enforced. Therefore, possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor.

This offense is punishable by fines and up to six months in jail. If you are convicted, the court is also required to suspend your driving privileges in Michigan.

It is not uncommon for students to smoke marijuana in their dorm rooms. Because of this, it is not uncommon for housing security to check the halls for the smell of Marijuana. Once marijuana is found in your dorm room, whether you are arrested or not, if it is seized, it will be tested which could take several months.

Therefore, it may take as long as six months before you are officially charged. After that, you will go to court and that process can last another six months.”

Source: student legal services

 

[momofthegoons]

Michigan lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuana before November ballot
Lawmakers concerned about impact of pot proposal on voter turnout

LANSING, Mich. - The politics of marijuana in Michigan might take another turn with a proposal asking residents if they support recreational use in the state expected on the November ballot.

There's talk in Lansing about legislatively approving recreational marijuana before it hits the ballot. Current polling shows if the vote was taken now, it would pass. It's also proven to be an issue that turns out voters.

In a very unique political year, the voters invested in the marijuana proposal could seriously impact other races.

Medical marijuana usage passed by a wide margin in 2008, as 63 percent of voters said yes. Now, recreational pot is heading to the ballot, and while the signatures are still being vetted, there aren't many lawmakers in Lansing who don't think it will win.

"If it were today, it would pass with 55 or 56 percent of the vote," Darnoi said.

In Darnoi's estimation, it would also likely up the voter turnout by 2 or 3 percent, which makes GOP sources in Lansing wonder if they ought to legislatively pass recreational marijuana now. They are concerned that putting it on the ballot would cause them to lose control of the State House.

In an unpredictable election year, that's a very real conversation for lawmakers.

"It is a legitimate concern, and if I were with the House Republicans, I would certainly take it seriously," Darnoi said. "But I don't think it's reached critical mass at this point."

 

[Shredder]

Michigan lawmakers consider legalizing recreational marijuana before November ballot
Lawmakers concerned about impact of pot proposal on voter turnout

LANSING, Mich. - The politics of marijuana in Michigan might take another turn with a proposal asking residents if they support recreational use in the state expected on the November ballot.

There's talk in Lansing about legislatively approving recreational marijuana before it hits the ballot. Current polling shows if the vote was taken now, it would pass. It's also proven to be an issue that turns out voters.

In a very unique political year, the voters invested in the marijuana proposal could seriously impact other races.

Medical marijuana usage passed by a wide margin in 2008, as 63 percent of voters said yes. Now, recreational pot is heading to the ballot, and while the signatures are still being vetted, there aren't many lawmakers in Lansing who don't think it will win.

"If it were today, it would pass with 55 or 56 percent of the vote," Darnoi said.

In Darnoi's estimation, it would also likely up the voter turnout by 2 or 3 percent, which makes GOP sources in Lansing wonder if they ought to legislatively pass recreational marijuana now. They are concerned that putting it on the ballot would cause them to lose control of the State House.

In an unpredictable election year, that's a very real conversation for lawmakers.

"It is a legitimate concern, and if I were with the House Republicans, I would certainly take it seriously," Darnoi said. "But I don't think it's reached critical mass at this point."

The politicos in this state are dispickable. Our ideas are so good we have to suppress the vote. F n losers. I'm sure their form of recreational will be equally dispickable.

 

[Baron23]

The politicos in this state are dispickable. Our ideas are so good we have to suppress the vote. F n losers. I'm sure their form of recreational will be equally dispickable.

Yeah, self-serving mofo's are only worried about continuing their place at the public trough and are actually do this to block the electorate from expressing their will on MJ and telling (not asking) these pols what to do. Many subjects, but MJ in particular, are showing our country just how embedded and non-responsive our professional political class has become. We don't just have an MJ law issue in our country, we have an anti-democratic issue in our country arising from those sworn to protect democracy and the constitution.

wrt Hash Bash...looks like fun (but a bit cold, no? haha)
With marijuana legalization likely on ballot, Hash Bash becomes a call to action

ANN ARBOR -- After 47 years, the annual Hash Bash, which celebrates marijuana and protests the laws prohibiting its use, may be on its last legs.

With the legalization of marijuana for recreational use likely on its way to the voters in November, the annual event Saturday on the University of Michigan's campus became a call to action, or at least a call to polling places.

More: Marijuana legalization effort vaults a hurdle with no outside challenge to signatures

More: Feds unlikely to pursue Michigan medical marijuana, but treasury will

"Besides making sure this is the last Hash Bash before legalization, we can make sure that we get the best people elected to the most important positions in the state," said Nick Zettel, one of the lead organizers of Hash Bash. "We’re going to have a very cannabis-positive election. And the most important thing we need is your vote."

With the unmistakable haze and scent of marijuana smoke hanging over the crowd, it was a message that was repeated by speaker after speaker, including two Democratic candidates for governor, Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul El-Sayed, and Democratic attorney general candidate Dana Nessel.

Buy Photo
Democratic attorney general candidate Dana Nessel speaks during the annual Hash Bash at U-M's Diag in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

"I attended my first Hash Bash in 1988 when I was a student here. I supported legalization then, and I support it now," Nessel told the crowd that filled the Diag at the University of Michigan. "It's time to stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on this nonsense."

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer speaks during the annual Hash Bash at U-M's Diag in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

Whitmer said she was a supporter of the legalization of marijuana "long before it was politically fashionable," and that tax revenue generated from marijuana sales could go a long way "to fix the damn potholes."

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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks during the annual Hash Bash at U-M's Diag in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

And El-Sayed, who offered up slices of cake to what he suspected was a hungry crowd, said once the ballot proposal is passed, the state should work to expunge the records of people charged and convicted of marijuana possession and sales.

"No one should be left with an arrest record," he said.

The sentiments were shared by the crowd, many of whom openly displayed their support for marijuana by firing up a joint or a bowl.

“I see that it helps out quite a bit with a lot of things. I see kids who have had seizures all their lives, and none of the prescription medications helped them,” said Tyler Seitman, 25, of Brighton, who wore a baseball cap emblazoned with marijuana leaves and the word “Kush,” a popular variety of cannabis. “I’m just going to keep supporting it till the day it happens and then support it even more after it passes.”

Both he and his friend Rachel Johnson, 21, of Brighton, have been smoking marijuana for years. And in November, Johnson said, “I’m going to vote when it comes on the ballot, and I’ll continue to smoke it.”

While the politicians who spoke in favor of the legalization effort were all Democrats, a supporter of President Donald Trump – Jerome Bussell, manager of a medical marijuana dispensary in Morenci – wore his trademark red “Make America Great Again” cap proudly.

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Jerome Bussell of Morenci listens to the speakers during the annual Hash Bash at U-M's Diag in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 7, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

He wasn’t worried about U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ moves to prosecute marijuana cases more vigorously.

“I hope Trump defunds Sessions and the DOJ. He said he supported marijuana when he was trying to get elected,” Bussell said. “You kind of worry when you wear your Trump hat, but everybody’s cool. I support my country and support my president.”

The crowd came to smoke and partake in marijuana edibles, virtually unimpeded by law enforcement. Ann Arbor decriminalized marijuana use in 1974. They were helped out by people selling both marijuana-infused products and traditional munchies -- including a Girl Scout troop, who didn't want their troop number of names disclosed, who were selling Girl Scout cookies to Hash Bash attendees.

"I don't think the Girl Scouts would sanction this site," said one of the leaders of the troop, adding that Thin Mints seemed to be the crowd favorite.

While all the speakers urged the crowd to get involved in the upcoming election, the fight to normalize the use of marijuana goes beyond November, several said.

Former National Football League player Eugene Monroe, an offensive tackle with both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens, said people shouldn't lose sight of the laws that penalize cannabis users, even in states where it's legal.

"There are still tons of laws that work to ruin peoples lives," he said. "An employer can legally prevent you from maintaining your job if you use cannabis."

And Adam Brook, who was an organizer of the Hash Bash for nearly 20 years, said the Hash Bash should live on as a gesture of revolt against "The Man." The federal government still considers marijuana as an illegal drug, although Congress passed a budget last month that didn't provide money for enforcement of federal drug laws in states that have legalized medical marijuana.

"So next year, after they legalize pot in Michigan, come back with your friends, so we can say 'F-you' to the man," he said. "Because the federal government has got something up their butt about us."

The State Board of Canvassers is expected to consider the petitions filed for the marijuana legalization effort later this month, along with two other petitions -- repealing the state's prevailing wage and changing the way lines for state and federal elected offices lines are drawn. If enough valid signatures from registered voters are certified by the Board, the issues will head to the November ballot.

"I'm trying to think of the best way to mobilize people to get out and vote," said Matthew Abel, an attorney and executive director for the Michigan chapter of NORML, or the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. "We're hoping that this will be the last Hash Bash under state prohibition."

Hundreds attend the annual Hash Bash at U-M's Diag in Ann Arbor on Saturday, April 7, 2018. Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press
Jeff Hank, the executive director of MiLegalize, one of the groups pushing for the ballot proposal, said polling has shown support for the legalization at 62%.

"Most people assume this is going to pass at the polls, but we can’t be complacent," he said. "We have to get out and vote."

If the Board of Canvassers approves the petition, the Michigan Legislature has 40 days to either pass the proposal, and it would automatically become law; offer up a competing proposal for the ballot; or do nothing, and let the voters decide.

There have been rumblings that Republican leadership in the legislature should take up the measure and pass it, just to keep it off the ballot in November. The marijuana proposal is expected to increase voter turnout, especially among young people, who traditionally have voted more for Democrats.

But both Amber McCann, spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive, and Gideon D'Assandro, spokesman for Speaker of the House Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, said there haven't been any discussions in the Republican caucuses yet about such a move.

While it could be a strategic political move, "policy wise, most of the caucus opposes the measure," McCann said.

And Abel said, "It might be the smart political move to keep some of the liberals from voting, but it would fly in the face of what they really want, which is for it to fail. I just can’t see that happening."

 

[Baron23]

Michigan medical marijuana market shrinks, uncertainty lingers under new system

Michigan medical marijuana regulators are trying to chop the state’s current industry in half, two months ahead of the transition to a new, tighter regulatory system.

The market contraction is a boon to dispensaries that remain in business – they stand to see a boost in sales – but it has sparked legal challenges by some of the businesses whose applications have been denied.

Even the facilities that remain in operation have only temporary licenses: They need state regulators to approve their permanent licenses by June 15, when the new framework is scheduled to be in place.

Some worry the process is going too slowly, that the market won’t be firmed up by the mid-June deadline and that Michigan’s 277,000 registered MMJ patients will be left with inadequate access to supplies.


“That would be a complete disaster,” said Michael Stein, a Bloomfield Hills attorney who represents more than a dozen medical marijuana businesses, many of which were denied temporary licenses by local authorities.
Existing medical marijuana businesses had until Feb. 15 to apply to the state for a license under the new regulatory regime.

In the past few weeks, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has issued cease-and-desist letters to 208 medical marijuana businesses that regulators say:

• Failed to apply in time.
• Applied without conditional approval from their local authorities.
• Filed incomplete applications.

That has left only 215 businesses with approval to continue operating while the state considers their applications.

Detroit has been the hardest hit: Roughly 150 businesses in the state’s largest city were ordered shut by state authorities, leaving less than 70 in operation.

Licensing delay

State regulators had expected to start issuing new licenses this month for growers, processors, dispensaries, distributors and testing facilities. But no licenses have been issued yet.

According to the state’s emergency MMJ rules, facilities would have to shut down June 15 if they didn’t receive their state license by then.

The current restructuring stems from a 2016 law aimed at tightening regulations and addressing past legal confusions.

Experts have been predicting for some time that the transition could be painful.

It’s unclear to what extent the state has tried to enforce the cease-and-desist letters. But there’s been a pronounced shift in the market since the letters were issued.

Michael Mayes – a cannabis consultant and chief executive of Greenwave Naturals, which operates a dispensary in Lansing – said the dispensary’s business has about doubled since the cease-and-desist letters were issued.

“We are seeing two to three times the patients each day,” he said.

Mayes especially worries if the state doesn’t license enough facilities to procure supplies by June 15.

“That’s our larger concern – that there will be a shortage of medicine,” Mayes said.

He said Greenwave is trying to stock up on supplies in anticipation of possible problems in June.

David Harns, a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, said the state is working diligently to consider applications but that the process includes thorough background checks and facility assessments.

“We’re doing our best to get as many applications through the process as we can,” Harns added.

He noted that Michigan’s MMJ regulators have the discretion to take up and approve applications that have been initially denied.

Courtroom battles

Stein, the attorney, said he has been able to keep at least eight of his clients’ businesses open temporarily while challenging local denials in court.

In late March, Stein said, he won his first case when a circuit court judge ruled that the Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals had abused its discretion in rejecting the application of All Natural Collective, which has been operating in Detroit since 2014.

A Wayne County circuit judge ruled that the zoning panel in part relied too heavily on anonymous complaints that the business, which operates within 1,000 feet of two churches, is a nuisance and blight to the area.

Stein said he has received several calls from businesses that received cease-and-desist letters.

The businesses complained that local authorities had failed to act on their applications in time for them to meet the state’s Feb. 15 deadline for submitting applications.

“That’s a shame, because those businesses had every right to operate while their application was making it through the Detroit system,” Stein said.

“It shouldn’t have counted against them that Detroit dragged its feet.”

Detroit’s viewpoint

Detroit’s corporation counsel, Lawrence Garcia, wrote in an email to Marijuana Business Daily that it “is false” to say that the city has been dragging its feet.

Garcia said the city has approved 70 locations for conditional use as medical marijuana dispensaries.

Of those, 57 business owners filed the necessary paperwork with the state to obtain temporary licenses. Another 11 businesses, including many of Stein’s clients, received stays from enforcement while they challenge their local denials in court.

The Detroit City Council also is considering new local rules, but that process should be completed in plenty of time for dispensaries with temporary licenses to win full approvals, Garcia said.

According to Garcia, the city envisions about six dozen licensed dispensaries spread throughout Detroit when the process is completed. He said that will be an adequate number to serve the market.

“According to the White Pages,” he said, “we have 36 CVS (drug stores), 33 Rite Aids, seven Walgreens, 32 McDonald’s, 22 Burger Kings and 10 Starbucks in the city of Detroit, and people don’t seem to have any trouble accessing nonmarijuana medications, hamburgers or high-end coffee.

“With six dozen marijuana dispensaries, they won’t have trouble accessing medical marijuana.”

Even if there’s no interruption in MMJ dispensary services in June, Stein and Mayes said, the current climate has been disruptive because it has forced many medical marijuana patients to seek out other dispensaries and form new relationships.

“The market was big enough to support a couple hundred Detroit dispensaries,” Stein said, adding that he hasn’t run into a shop that complained of a lack of business or supply.

 

[Baron23]

Republicans eye getting in front of marijuana legalization

Sensing that legalizing marijuana in Michigan might be inevitable, some Republicans want to get in front of the issue to try to avoid political catastrophe in November.

A petition campaign to legalize marijuana in Michigan has cleared a bunch of hurdles. The group pushing the initiative says they have turned in enough signatures to get on the ballot in November.

Recent surveys show that Michiganders are growing more accepting of the idea of legalizing marijuana in the state.

Four years ago an EPIC-MRA poll showed that half the state’s voters favored full legalization. According to a poll last month, that number is now up to 61 percent in favor.

Now, presuming the petition signatures are certified, this question doesn’t actually have to go to the ballot. The Legislature has the option to preempt that step by adopting the initiative and allowing it to become law.


It's Just Politics with Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta
Republicans, some who are even opposed to legalizing marijuana, are starting to reconsider their position. Their concern is if the legalization question is on the ballot in November, it could increase turnout, especially among young progressives and single-issue pro-marijuana voters. And, in an election year that right now isn’t looking great for Republicans, the GOP doesn’t want anything to increase progressive voter turnout.

We’ve seen this playbook used before. Four years ago, it appeared a ballot initiative run by a progressive group to increase the state’s minimum wage might be popular at the polls. That was also an election year. Republicans approved an increase to the state’s minimum wage and kept the question off the ballot.

Now, the Legislature’s GOP leaders say they haven’t really talked about this issue of marijuana legalization yet. The question is still not certified and there are many crosscurrents to address.

The influential Michigan Chamber of Commerce remains opposed to legalization and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has signaled that he’s willing to push harder enforcement of federal marijuana laws regardless of what states do.

Republicans still have some time. The state Bureau of Elections is still checking signatures to see if the pro-marijuana campaign has gathered enough valid signatures.

However, the deadline has passed for the opposition to file challenges. That suggests a clear path for the legalization drive.

If the signatures are certified, the question goes to the ballot unless the Legislature acts first. A political calculation will be part of the deliberations of GOP leaders.

Fight this out on the ballot? Or let it become law and try to hold down the point spread in November that could cost Republicans in competitive races?

 

[BD9]

I'm not sure where I should post this, so I choose here. LOL

I was talking to co worker tonight that just got her medical card. The closest dispensary to her is about 60 miles. I mentioned she could try to find a 'caregiver,' and she asked how to do that?
I had no answer.
So, for those of you in the mitten, where can she find a caregiver? Is there a website with a directory?
Should she ask her doctor?

Thanks!

 

[momofthegoons]

So, for those of you in the mitten, where can she find a caregiver? Is there a website with a directory?
Should she ask her doctor?

It's not the easiest thing. There aren't that many around. And there is no directory... and NO.. she should not ask her doctor (imo) unless it's the certifying doctor. And they probably wont be able to help her.

I found mine through a Michigan MMJ website that had a classified section. And can't say that my experience with him has been all that stellar. Not that that's indicative of others found that way. Many caregivers are found by word of mouth. There are some that post on IG and will say if they are looking for new patients... I have to drive about 50 miles, one way, to meet mine.... And the only other one I've met is even farther away.

This is not to say that there aren't any closer. I just haven't found one yet.

A good place to start would be to see if she can find a compassion club nearby. It's a great way to network. There's also a forum through the Michigan Medical Marijuana Assoc. that might help her.

 

[BD9]

It's not the easiest thing. There aren't that many around. And there is no directory... and NO.. she should not ask her doctor (imo) unless it's the certifying doctor. And they probably wont be able to help her.

I found mine through a Michigan MMJ website that had a classified section. And can't say that my experience with him has been all that stellar. Not that that's indicative of others found that way. Many caregivers are found by word of mouth. There are some that post on IG and will say if they are looking for new patients... I have to drive about 50 miles, one way, to meet mine.... And the only other one I've met is even farther away.

This is not to say that there aren't any closer. I just haven't found one yet.

A good place to start would be to see if she can find a compassion club nearby. It's a great way to network. There's also a forum through the Michigan Medical Marijuana Assoc. that might help her.

Hm. Thanks for the help. I'll send her the link to the forum.

 

[Shredder]

I'm not sure where I should post this, so I choose here. LOL

I was talking to co worker tonight that just got her medical card. The closest dispensary to her is about 60 miles. I mentioned she could try to find a 'caregiver,' and she asked how to do that?
I had no answer.
So, for those of you in the mitten, where can she find a caregiver? Is there a website with a directory?
Should she ask her doctor?

Thanks!

If you can find a local compassion club, like mom suggested is your best bet. Networking in our community is key. Heck maybe a caregiver will see your post here and contact you. Just make sure you have trust in your caregiver.

In my case as a caregiver, I met my patients through a compassion club. I moved here five years ago and wasnt plugged in to the mj community, other than the club. It probably helped that I taught grow classes there. I've also turned down more than I accepted. My criteria is folks who honestly have a medical need, are stable people (no drama) and over 50 yr of age. My rejects were people I didn't feel comfortable with for one reason or another.

And in the long run growing your own might be best. If you like it, a patient or two could help make your grow sustainable, but it's a process that might take a while before it fruits. In my case my patients have become good friends, and I feel a obligation to help them, and i feel they would help me as well.

 

[momofthegoons]

Hm. Thanks for the help. I'll send her the link to the forum.

You're welcome. Sorry I couldn't help more.

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure that's the forum I used to get my caregiver. Seems janke but... it really isn't. You just want to make sure you talk a bit first and feel the person out. Then meet with them and try their product.....

As @Shredder said... it's all about networking.

 

[BD9]

If you can find a local compassion club, like mom suggested is your best bet. Networking in our community is key. Heck maybe a caregiver will see your post here and contact you. Just make sure you have trust in your caregiver.

In my case as a caregiver, I met my patients through a compassion club. I moved here five years ago and wasnt plugged in to the mj community, other than the club. It probably helped that I taught grow classes there. I've also turned down more than I accepted. My criteria is folks who honestly have a medical need, are stable people (no drama) and over 50 yr of age. My rejects were people I didn't feel comfortable with for one reason or another.

And in the long run growing your own might be best. If you like it, a patient or two could help make your grow sustainable, but it's a process that might take a while before it fruits. In my case my patients have become good friends, and I feel a obligation to help them, and i feel they would help me as well.

Wow @Shredder, that's amazing. Thank you for what you do in our community!! :worship2:

Since she will be going to these people by herself, I want to make sure she'll be safe and get good medicine. Not everyone as ethical or caring as you are.

Thanks!

 

[momofthegoons]

9 medical pot firms first to win Michigan approval

Lansing — Herban Legends, Green Eden and Pure Green are among the first businesses in Michigan to win pre-approval for a license to participate in the state’s new regulated medical marijuana industry.

The Michigan Medical Marihuana Licensing Board on Thursday approved nine applications for planned dispensaries, grow operations, processing or testing centers and transporters that must still pass a facility inspections in order to qualify for a license.

The panel tabled one application, asking for further investigation by the Michigan State Police, and rejected two other applicants for “knowingly” submitting false information, a finding they can request a hearing to appeal.

Pre-approved applicants include three Ann Arbor business each owned by James Daly and Brian Doelle, who are seeking licensure to grow up to 500 marijuana plants through a company called Arbor Farms, process the drug at Arbor Kitchen and sell to patients at a Cannarbor dispensary less than a half-mile from the University of Michigan.

Other Metro Detroit business pre-approved Thursday include a planned ABKO Labs safety testing facility in Troy; Motas Inc., a secure transporter based in Hazel Park; an Herben Legends dispensary in Southfield; and a Pure Green processing facility in Inkster.

The board also pre-approved Green Edel LLC of Portage for a dispensary and Class C growing license, the largest variety that allows up to 1,500 plants, along with a combination growing, processing and dispensary operating planned by Agri-Med of Muskegon.

Michigan legislators approved the new commercial medical marijuana regulations in late 2016, building on the 2008 law approved by voters that allowed for caregivers and patients to grow a limited amount of plants at home.

But a year and a half into the new law, the state has not yet handed out a single license. Applicants who won pre-approval Thursday must still pass a state facility inspection to operate legally.

“I think there was a misconception by some applicants that they would get licensure and then build a facility,” said Andrew Brisbo, director of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. “We need to see, when we go in to do an inspection, a completed facility that meets all the standards that are applicable for licensure.”

The inspection process is unlikely to result in denial by the state, Brisbo said.

“Step two shouldn’t be anything that’s not curable,” he explained. “If we find any deficiencies, we’ll communicate those to the applicant and they’ll have a reasonable opportunity to correct those.”

Michigan State Police and the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs last month served more than 200 cease-and-desist letters to companies they said had been operating outside the law and had not applied for a license. Most of those facilities — 161 — were in Detroit, where officials have imposed a temporary moratorium amid a legal dispute over local medical marijuana ordinances.

The state began accepting applications in December and required applicants to pay a $6,000 fee.

To date, 470 individuals or companies have submitted pre-qualification applications for a license to run a marijuana business, including 67 provisioning centers, six secure transporters and 49 Class C growers who have also applied for required facility inspections.

At least 78 municipalities have opted in to the law and will allow at least some kind of licensed marijuana businesses, according to an unofficial tally by the state. Participating communities in Metro Detroit include Inkster, Garden City, River Rouge, Center Line, Lenox Township, Hazel Park, Walled Lake and Orion Charter Township.

 

[Baron23]

How hard is it to get a medical marijuana card in Michigan?


LANSING — If you drive down Cedar Street in Lansing, you'll see green signs on medical marijuana dispensaries that advertise for "MMMP."

The initials refer to the state's program for registered medical marijuana patients.

Statewide, there are roughly 218,558 registered medical marijuana patients and 38,107 caregivers, according to the state's most recently published data. Registered patients increased more than 70% since 2012.

The state initially denies close to 16% of the medical marijuana applications it receives, according to data reported by Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. Regulators deny some applications for clerical errors, like incomplete paperwork, and prospective patients may re-apply.

This is what Michiganders need to know about becoming a registered medical marijuana patient.

What is a medical marijuana card?
State regulators issue Michigan Medical Marihuana Program cards to registered medical marijuana patients and caregivers.

Registered patients may possess up to 12 marijuana plants and up to 2.5 ounces of "usable marijuana," meaning the plant's dried flowers and leaves.

The state also licenses caregivers, who can help procure marijuana for patients. Caregivers may serve up to five patients. State law allows caregivers to possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for each patient. Caregivers may also cultivate up to 12 marijuana plants for each of their registered patients.

The state began certifying patients and caregivers in 2009 after more than 60% of voters approved legalizing medical marijuana in 2008.

Recreational marijuana is still illegal in Michigan, though that could change. Several groups are petitioning to bring recreational legalization before state voters this November.

More:

Can you be fired in Michigan for using medical marijuana?

Why you'll hear more about Lansing's medical marijuana industry

Police remove pro-pot protesters from Lansing council meeting for disruption

Who qualifies for a medical marijuana card?
State law specifically lists eight medical conditions, which can qualify a patient for certification:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Hepatitis C
• Crohn’s disease
• Alzheimer’s
• Nail patella, a rare genetic disorder characterized by abnormalities of the nails, kneecaps and pelvis
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also know as Lou Gherig's disease

State regulators have since added post-traumatic disorder to the list of approved conditions.

Patients also can obtain a medical marijuana card for a "debilitating medical condition" with any of the following symptoms:

• wasting syndrome
• severe and chronic pain
• nausea
• seizures, such as those associated with epilepsy
• severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those associated with multiple sclerosis

Who can provide medical marijuana certifications?
A physician's approval is necessary to obtain a Michigan medical marijuana card.

A medical doctor or a doctor of osteopathic medicine must sign a form certifying that a patient suffers from a debilitating medical condition that could be alleviated with medical cannabis.

It's not permissible to get physician's blessing for medical marijuana through the mail or via a Skype appointment. State law requires a "bona fide physician-patient relationship," which includes an in-person medical evaluation.

2015 audit: One doctor certified 11,800 cannabis patients

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Dimondale resident Victor Hansens' displays his medical marijuana card on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. (Photo: Nick King/Lansing State Journal)

The state does not provide a list of physicians who will recommend medical marijuana.

Because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, some physicians are reluctant to provide medical marijuana certifications, said Kevin McFatridge a spokesman for the Michigan State Medical Society, a professional association.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not broadly approved marijuana for medical use, although the FDA has approved drugs that either contain cannabis or mimic cannabis compounds.

Some doctors are reluctant to recommend medical marijuana, McFatridge said, because there are insufficient studies about cannabis dosage and the way the drug could interact with other medications.

Physicians with McLaren Health System do not provide medical marijuana certifications.

“There are legal drugs that may work just as well in specific instances, this is why it is important to work closely with your physician to create a personalized treatment plan," said Dr. Brad Ropp of McLaren Medical Group.

Michael Komorn, an attorney and president of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association, an advocacy group, said insurance companies often discourage physicians from providing medical marijuana certifications. Komorn, argues, however, that fears about the risks of recommending medical marijuana are unfounded.

"More doctors should come on board, if they're keeping with the Hippocratic oath of 'do no harm," Komorn said. "If you prescribe opioid pills to a patient, you don't know if they're going to take more than prescribed and overdose. When you look at cannabis as an alternative to pain management, for example, it's much safer."

More:

Which Lansing pot shops have been told to shut down? City won't say

Why Michigan hasn't given out any medical marijuana licenses yet

When recreational marijuana was legal in Michigan: 22 days in 1972

Here's a look at what type of impact medical marijuana could have in Michigan, especially the Lansing region. Eric Lacy / Lansing State Journal

How long does it take to get a medical marijuana card?
It costs $60 to apply for an adult patient card, which must be renewed after two years. There's an additional $25 fee to register a caregiver.

Application materials, including proof of Michigan residency, should be mailed to the Michigan Medical Marihuana Program, PO Box 30083, Lansing, Mich. 48903.

State regulators will either issue a medical marijuana card or a denial letter within 20 days of receiving an application. Applicants can contact the state's Medical Marihuana Program 517-284-6400 if they do not hear back within five weeks of mailing an application.

 

[Baron23]

State wants to help marijuana businesses find an alternative to banks

The state is looking for ways to help medical marijuana businesses that are having trouble finding a bank or a credit union.

Rick Johnson chairs the state medical marijuana licensing board. He says most financial institutions won’t work with marijuana-related businesses because the drug remains illegal at the federal level. He says that means the businesses don’t have checking accounts and can’t easily handle electronic transfers.

“I would guess probably over 90 percent is paid in cash. So, how do you get the cash, the part of it that’s tax, how do you get that cash to Treasury,” Johnson said.

The state medical marijuana regulating agency is meeting with vendors that might be able to help. There’s no deadline to get that done. But the first businesses are supposed to be fully licensed to operate in coming weeks.

Andrew Brisbo directs the Michigan Medical Marijuana Regulating Agency. He says the state is looking for vendors that will help the businesses deal with that.

“We’re heading up an evaluation, and an opportunity for companies that provide those services to demonstrate how they’re systems work, and how that might benefit the industry in Michigan,” Brisbo said.

Brisbo says one benefit to the state is this will make it easier for medical marijuana businesses pay their taxes.