A package of bills regarding
medical marijuana passed the House with wide margins on Wednesday. HB 4209, HB 4210, and HB 4827 allows medical marijuana
patients to pay a 9 percent tax, but be able to purchase the product from a
licensed dispensary and to use topical and edible forms of the drug legally.
HB 4209 establishes a
regulatory structure with five types of licenses for growers, processors,
testing labs, transporters, and dispensaries. Local governments will have to
pass their own ordinances for provisioning centers, but will receive a portion
of the tax revenue and have the ability to set a licensing fee in addition to a
licensing fee established by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
(LARA). HB 4209 also sets a 3 percent excise tax on provisioning center profits
and a 6 percent sales tax. Additionally, the bill restricts marketing towards
minors and prohibits edible products from taking a shape attractive to minors.
HB 4210 allows non-smokeable
forms of marijuana, but bans butane extraction in residential areas and HB 4827
establishes a seed to sale tracking system.
LARA will set policies to
implement and enforce the act. The department will also set minimum levels of
insurance operators must carry, as well as the testing, qualifications and limits
for facility operators.
Senator Rick Jones (R-Grand
Ledge), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee anticipates passing the bills,
but has some reservations regarding reducing the excise tax from 8 percent to 3
percent. Mr. Jones commented that he and the Senate Judiciary Committee would
revisit this portion of the package to ensure there are enough funds for this
system to function properly.
Willie Rochon with the
Michigan Cannabis Association praised the House for the package, and is hopeful
these bills will be signed into law.