Number Of Registered Medical Marijuana Patients In Michigan Grows In Past Three Years

[+Malamute]

Number of registered medical marijuana patients in Michigan grows in past three years

 

http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20151114/NEWS/311159957/number-of-registered-medical-marijuana-patients-in-michigan-grows-in

 

The number of Michigan's active, registered medical marijuana patients is up more than 18,000 people from three years ago, according to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Registry Program, part of Michigan Licensing and Regulatory Affairs in Lansing.

Currently, the state logs 178,629 active, registered medical marijuana patients. Crain's reported that there were about 160,000 in 2012.

The number of active, registered patients with registered caregivers is 68,834 compared with 52,406 in August 2012. Patients using medical marijuana can have a registered caregiver, but it is not required.

The registered caregiver numbers in the last three years went from 27,132 to 33,264. Why a significant jump in registered caregivers?

 

 

 

"You can grow a certain amount of marijuana if you are a caregiver and a certain amount if you are a patient. Some people may register as both so they can get double the amount," said Gerald Fisher, professor of law at the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills. "People can be caregivers for legitimate and non-legitimate reasons."

Fisher said the leap in the number of patients does not reflect that there are more people in chronic pain. Rather, it shows more people are using the drug recreationally. "There is a significant view that has formed that marijuana is not harmful and perfectly safe and appropriate to use recreationally."

Right now, LARA does not license dispensaries because the Medical Marihuana Act does not address or include provisions for dispensaries. Caregivers, however, must meet the requirements of the act, which are:

 

• Being designated by qualifying patients.
• Being 21 years or older.
• Having no more than five qualifying patients.
• Having no disqualifying conviction.

The state's registry program is where patients bring a doctor's prescription to get their official medical marijuana card. Cost for an application this year is $60, reduced from $100 in 2014.

 

 

 

According to LARA in an email, the application fee was reduced to reflect the application fee that was in effect for about 90 percent of the applicants. It would not comment further.

"To take the price down that much is suspect," Fisher said.

He said businesspeople's feelings about dispensaries tend to vary depending on professions. For example, landlords frequently discourage pot growers, sellers and users in their buildings because they are undesirable to other tenants. But a landlord with a vacant retail strip would welcome a dispensary.

Meanwhile, attitudes toward retailers are split according to urban and suburban locales. Urban areas tend to be less restrictive toward dispensaries, while the suburbs want more regulation.

"This issue has nothing to do with race or wealth. It's a lifestyle issue," he said.

[+Malamute]

Fisher said the leap in the number of patients does not reflect that there are more people in chronic pain. Rather, it shows more people are using the drug recreationally.

 

 

 

 That quote really gets under my skin...

 

But yea,.. Fisher, what do ya expect aye.

 

Scumball from start to finish.

 

 But I found the numbers interesting.

[t-pain]

wow thats a lot of caregivers! and patients! do we have the most registered patients in any state now ?

[Restorium2]

12 plants anonymously for two years for $60. Who is surprised? 

 

Best and worst deal going depending on if you are 'us' or 'them'.

 

We fight to keep it and they fight to kill it. Any attempts that change our law are 'their' attempts, not ours. That's why you don't see real legalization, just their fakeness attempts to adjust the equation in their favour. 

 

Hurry up and get some sigs before you get a chance to think. 

[+Malamute]

"Registered".... I think so.

 

 California .. but yea kinda.

[Restorium2]

 That quote really gets under my skin...

 

But yea,.. Fisher, what do ya expect aye.

 

Scumball from start to finish.

 

 But I found the numbers interesting.

Right. I remember that White Paper by him;

 

https://www.mml.org/pdf/fisher-med-marihuana-white-paper8-5-10.pdf

[SFC]

I actually expected a much higher number by now..

[Wild Bill]

I know of several people who don't get cards because they're afraid it will impact their ability to keep a CPL.

[beourbud]

There has got to be 5 times as many unregistered people for several reasons.

Edited December 11, 2015 by beourbud

[solabeirtan]

Based on numbers from a year ago (Oct 27, 2014) Michigan does indeed have the most Registered Medical Cannabis Patients. CA only has 76,000 registered patients, however their program is a voluntary registration. We know there are many more than that who choose not to register.  It surely has the largest overall population, at over 38 million it's about 4 times greater than ours. 

    If you go by population density (patients per 100k citizens) Colorado tops the list at 21.2 / 100k yet they only have about 112k patients total. Next up in this category is Oregon with 17.7 / 100k or less than 70k total as of this survey.

 

A few other interesting things I discovered rounding up these stats:

On December 16, 2014, Congress and the Obama Administration "quietly" ended the federal prohibition on medical marijuana.

Congress quietly ends federal government's ban on medical marijuana: LAtimes

 

 

 Their was at the local level a proposal known originally as SB660 from 2 years ago to provide a 'Pharmaceutical Grade' Cannabis that would be classified as a Schedule II Controlled Substance. I'm guessing this is what all the hullabalew at the Capitol is about? re:4209, ...?

 

Granted I have been slacking (mpo) keeping up on the latest developments, perhaps this is more common knowledge to the general MMMA advocates...

 

[beourbud]

Why would anyone pay tax, license ,fees, testing, shipping for subpar product when the BM will be here until cannabis is completely decriminalized offering Superior meds at blue collar prices?

Edited December 11, 2015 by beourbud