Michigan Legislature Has Opportunity To Make Medical Marijuana Safe For Patients

[bobandtorey]

Michigan's Legislature has an opportunity to finally establish a framework for safely, securely and responsibly ensuring that patients get access to medical marijuana.

By taking action now, the Legislature will help fix a 7-year-old problem that has denied patients the care they need and the relief they deserve.

In 2008, nearly two out of every three Michigan voters supported a ballot proposal allowing patients to get access to medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

Since 2008, Michigan's voter-approved law has been mired in confusion. Different communities have adopted different rules. The basic infrastructure of the law was undermined by court rulings. Patients had few options for places to get their medicines. Non-smokable forms of marijuana, like oils, remain illegal. Children who could get relief from medical marijuana are especially burdened.

Clarity and certainty are long overdue for the Michigan patients who have struggled for years to get the medicine that can improve their health and quality of life. 

As the Legislature jumpstarts this important debate, here are five critical concepts to ensure patients get safe products, bad actors are kept out of this fledgling industry and medical marijuana doesn't wind up in the wrong hands.

• Medical marijuana should be available only to patients with a doctor's recommendation. We must pass tough laws so kids don't get their hands on marijuana for illegal recreational use. With tough standards, a strong regulatory framework and clear guidelines so the private sector can operate with certainty, we can prevent shady businesses and criminal elements from endangering patients and the public.

• Strong accountability is critical to ensuring patient and product safety is a top priority. Accountability and transparency can foster product safety and rigorous product testing. The end result: safer products for tens of thousands of patients suffering from cancer, Parkinson's, Crohn's, glaucoma and other painful, debilitating diseases.

• Common-sense step-by-step safeguards should be implemented. These include background checks for those working in the medical marijuana industry; licensing of facilities and training for those in the industry; regular inspections by law enforcement and regulators; and cash-only transactions to prevent an individual or business from exerting undue influence that could ultimately endanger patients and the public.

• Businesses involved in different phases of medical marijuana should be separated into distinct "tiers." These tiers are producers or growers, testing facilities, distribution businesses, and retailers or sellers. Michigan is already home to other successful industries that have independent, separate tiers and we should emulate their successes and best practices.

• Tracking products at every stage can boost patient and product safety. Medical marijuana products should be tracked from the production phase to testing to distribution to sales. 

These concepts provide a responsible blueprint for how Michigan can build a medical marijuana industry safely and responsibly. In addition to providing patients' relief, a responsible medical marijuana framework can also promote business development, encourage local job growth and generate tens of millions in tax revenues for our state that can support many services, from roads to schools. A clear set of rules can drive real competition and innovation, and help all businesses in the sector compete.

Recently introduced legislation represents an important first step in this discussion. Sen. Rick Jones and state Reps. Mike Callton and Klint Kesto are spearheading some important proposals and deserve to be recognized for their leadership.  The entire Legislature should end years of delay and confusion, and take action so patients can get their medicine in a safe, secure and responsible way.

 

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2015/04/michigan_legislature_has_oppor.html

[beourbud]

If you want your Medical Marijuana safe, keep it out of the hands of the politicians.

 

Decriminalize

[Willy]

That whole little speech sounds right out of the mouths of law enforcement.. safe to patients? kids? safe safe safe!!! only safety we need is the fXXkin cops off our AZZes.and outta our homes.. 

.

[bobandtorey]

As we all can see now maybe Leo is not on our side 

 

Michigan voters supported a ballot proposal allowing patients to get access to medical marijuana with a doctor's recommendation.

 

 Medical marijuana should be available only to patients with a doctor's recommendation.

 

In addition to providing patients' relief, a responsible medical marijuana framework can also promote business development, encourage local job growth and generate tens of millions in tax

revenues for our state that can support many services, from roads to schools ?     Taxing people's medicine ?

 

 

Just some High points from Leo

 

just some high points from 

Edited April 29, 2015 by bobandtorey

[cristinew]

Safe Access   ,  Safety sells 

[slipstar059]

The key word is "access", which will become impossible for people in Northern Michigan, and the UP, unless they allow for companies to ship by mail.  That only happens if it becomes a Sch. 2.  or if they don't limit the amount of people that can apply to their tiered system. Not to mention all the patient's getting left in the cold, while waiting a year, for a company to build-out and finish it's first grow.

 

Cannabis is already as safe as it gets, so...

Edited April 29, 2015 by slipstar059

[AmishRnot4ganja]

Rules and restrictions only encourage a black market. Citizens need to understand this. Colorado citizens figured this out for themselves. Placing harsh, illogical restrictions on an innocuous plant that grows robustly practically everywhere is an exercise in futility. It never should have been restricted in the first place.