Michigan Medical Marijuana Proposal Hits Snag

New rules proposed for the Michigan medical marijuana program were sandbagged earlier this week, when the Joint Committee scoffed at plans to implement an online registration process for all patients.

The committee argued that making it mandatory for patients to register online would only make outcasts out of the poor and those living in rural areas because Internet access is not always available. Senator John Pappageorge, chair of the committee, said patients still need to have the ability to register using paper forms.

“If the person can’t file the darn thing unless they go out and buy a computer, why are you saying to them they can’t register?” said Pappageorge.

However, supporters of the new online registration proposal said the system will actually make it easier for patients to enroll in the program because it will help eliminate the majority of errors that typically occur as a result of filing paperwork. “If it’s done online, it will be impossible to deny for those reasons,” said Desmond Mitchell with the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

The current proposal also calls for a reduction in fees from $100 to $60 across the board – a move that would benefit nearly 88 percent of the program’s existing patients. However, there are concerns that low-income patients who were receiving a reduced rate would suffer a burden.