Michigan Lawmakers Working to Regulate Medical Marijuana

In an attempt to finally get a leash around the neck of Michigan’s medical marijuana program, lawmakers are now getting serious when it comes to establishing a regulatory system to remedy some of its major problems.

A series of bills were approved last week in the House of Representatives that would essentially set up a regulatory model that would hold the industry accountable for all actions from seed to sale. One of the bills suggests that medical marijuana should be taxed: 3 percent excise tax in addition to the standard sales tax.

Perhaps the most appreciated change would be the return of marijuana’s edibles. The Michigan Supreme Court previously ruled against edible forms of the plant, which has prevented epileptic children from using cannabis oil to treat their condition, not to mention a myriad of other legal conundrums.

The bills are expected to be considered by the full Senate in the near future. Lawmakers, similar to those in California, appear to be working diligently to establish some sense of order for the medical sector based on the very real possibility that Michigan voters will legalize a recreational cannabis market in November 2016.

California Governor Jerry Brown just signed a law finally regulating the state's medical marijuana industry after almost 20-years. We suppose Michigan's not doing too bad if they get it in under a decade.