Marijuana laws in Michigan continue to change. Earlier this month, voters said yes to a proposal that will make recreational cannabis legal. And now, lawmakers in the state have approved a new set of rules for the state’s medical marijuana program. The most significant change is that dispensaries will now be able to deliver medical marijuana directly to patients’ homes.
Michigan’s New Medical Marijuana Rules
Earlier today, Michigan’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules officially approved new medical cannabis regulations. This agency oversees rules and regulations proposed and implemented by other agencies in the state.
For the most part, the new medical marijuana rules reflect the bulk of the legal frameworks already in place. But there are a couple key changes. Most importantly, the new regulations allow medical marijuana dispensaries to offer home delivery services.
Of course, to qualify for delivery, you must be a legally qualified patient with a medical marijuana card. For legal medical marijuana patients, home delivery services could be a big step toward making cannabis more accessible.
Dispensaries will now be allowed to deliver as much as 2.5 ounces of medical cannabis per patient. Additionally, delivery people will limited 10 deliveries at a time.
The changes come as Michigan continues working to overhaul its medical marijuana program. At times, these efforts have been controversial. In fact, at one point during 2017 state officials considered closing all medical marijuana dispensaries in the entire state.
Eventually, they decided to let the shops remain open. But the state did initiate a number of changes. For example, dispensaries are now technically referred to as “provisioning centers.” Additionally, and more substantively, the state also began a more rigorous licensing process. That process is still underway.
Other Changes in Michigan’s Weed Laws
Along with the new approval of home delivery, the recent legalization of recreational weed is the biggest news when it comes to cannabis in Michigan.
In elections earlier this month, voters approved Proposition 1 by a margin of 55 percent to 45 percent. This proposition called for the legalization of recreational cannabis.
Proposition 1 is slated to go into effect on Dec. 6. When it does, adults 21 and older will be allowed to consume, possess, buy, and grow cannabis for recreational use. Importantly, Prop. 1 also establishes a legal framework for commercial cannabis sales.
In advance of Dec. 6, prosecutors in the state are already beginning to review marijuana-related charges. According to reports from local media, prosecutors are essentially reviewing and beginning to throw out any pending or ongoing cannabis charges, as these charges will no longer be valid come Dec. 6.
“Although the law is not retroactive, in the coming weeks we will assess the tickets that have already been charged, as well as those pending review, taking the new law into consideration,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy told the Detroit Free Press.
The recent changes in Michigan’s cannabis laws—both for recreational and medicinal—are largely the result of years’ long efforts by cannabis advocates.
More broadly, these changes are also part of larger shifts taking place in other states. Most notably, medical marijuana initiatives in Missouri and Utah also passed in this month’s elections.
