A New Era For Michigan’s Medical Cannabis Industry

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]M[/dropcap]ichigan is preparing to transform its mom-and-pop collective model into a workable system. The need for such a framework is evident nowhere greater than in Michigan. Ambitious entrepeneurs have been pushing the envelope wherever possible–and it’s evident in the drive-through collectives dotting Detroit’s 8 Mile road. Keep in mind, when the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act was passed in 2008, the Bush Administration’s “war on drugs” was in full gear and most businesses opted to stay off the radar. The times have changed, however, and Michigan’s medical cannabis system is finally taking shape.

On October 7, the Michigan House passed a package of medical cannabis licensing regulations. “Members of Michigan NORML have actively been lobbying legislators for improvements in the bills as they are moving through the legislative process,” Matthew Abel told CULTURE.  Matthew Abel is Executive Director of Michigan NORML, as well as a member of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan, the National Lawyers Guild, Americans for Safe Access and the Michigan ACLU legal committee. Abel’s Cannabis Counsel is a well known resource for cannabis criminal defense. He’s been a criminal defense lawyer for 27 years and has stood for public office seven times in Michigan. The bills are expected to reach the Michigan Senate this fall.

Michigan’s revised plan would impose a three percent tax on retailer gross income as well as authorizing doctors to prescribe non-smokable forms of cannabis. The new version drops retailer tax from eight percent to three percent. “The Board of Michigan NORML signed onto a unity letter supporting an earlier version of the bills,” Abel said. House Bill 4209 would create three classes of growers’ licenses—permitting the cultivation of 500, 1,000 or 1,500 plants. House Bill 4210, the Concentrates Bill, would specifically allow the sale of concentrates and edibles. Representative Klint Kesto authored House Bill 4827 as a solution to controlling the sale of cannabis. The seed-to-sale tracking system created by House Bill 4827 would provide a panoptic tracking system that could cost up to $21.1 million a year to maintain.

It’s both an exciting and sobering reality for the cannabis industry as it converts from a craft industry to a regulated and taxable system. “Some people are happy to see any movement, Abel explained. “There is definite benefit in HB-4210, legalizing and regulating concentrates for medical use. Many are upset that caregivers would not be allowed to participate in the supply chain.  Hopefully, there will be the possibility of fixing that huge problem. That structure eliminates the opportunity for a ‘craft bud’ model, and unfortunately encourages the underground market.”

Members of the Michigan chapter of NORML have been lobbying to slowly elevate the cannabis industry to the level of the pharmaceutical industry and the alcohol industry. “As we loosen cannabis prohibition, we need to be sure to loosen its grip on the criminal justice system as well. That is why Michigan NORML is supporting the legalization initiative of MILegalize.com.” We asked Abel if he sees recreational cannabis in Michigan’s future. “Absolutely. As one of my favorite Representatives said recently, in response to an apologetic patient: ‘there is nothing wrong with getting high’.”

On October 13, the Detroit City Council passed a package of licensing bills to regulate the sale and production of medical cannabis. It’s the latest effort to curb drive-through and 24-hour collectives. The ordinance passed will not go into effect until all zoning restrictions have been worked out.

Multiple recreational initiatives are expected to qualify for the November 2016 ballot in Michigan, mirroring what’s happening in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. As a member of the Michigan Comprehensive Cannabis Law Reform Initiative Committee (MCCLRIC), Abel has been working towards collecting signatures for a petition to regulate cannabis like alcohol in 2016.