House Judiciary Committee to take up Medical Marijuana Bills

Two pieces of legislation aimed at loosening the medical marijuana restrictions in the State of Michigan are set for a hearing when the legislature returns from break. House Bills 4209 and 4210 are re-introductions of bills from last session that would permit medical marijuana provisioning centers and allow edible and topical forms of the drug.

House Bill 4209 sponsored by Representative Mike Callton (R-Nashville) allows access of medical grade marijuana to patients through a “Provisioning Center” or dispensary. The bill also allows caregivers to sell medical grade marijuana to the provisioning center agents for distribution.

The bill further provides local municipalities the ability to decide whether they want to have provisioning centers. This bill, contrary to current Michigan Law, permits the municipality to zone-out completely a provisioning center; or will permit the municipality significant oversight, control and licensing authority over them.

House Bill 4210, sponsored by Representative Lisa Lyons (R-Alto) prevents a person from being penalized for manufacturing a marijuana-infused product if the person is a registered patient, a primary caregiver, or a medical marijuana-provisioning center. The bill also establishes a felony penalty of up to two years imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $2,000 for the transfer of a marijuana-infused product by a patient to another individual, by a caregiver to someone other than a qualifying patient of the caregiver, or by a provisioning center to someone other than a qualifying patient or registered caregiver.

Some legislators believe it is important to regulate marijuana provisioning centers because the state is on the verge of a legalization drive and regulating centers after legalization would be difficult. Representative Callton has not been in support of legalization.

The two-bill package has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee instead of the House Health Policy Committee, and has some lawmakers scratching their heads because they see this as a medical issue and not a criminal matter. Nevertheless, the House Judiciary Chair has agreed to take up these bills when legislators return.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, April 10, 2015 11:04 AM
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