Sam Bernstein presents Medical Marijuana Laws in Michigan Updates

  ANN ARBOR, MI - 09/27/2018 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

The Medical Marijuana Laws in Michigan are always changing. Here is an update from the last month.

New Rules for Marijuana Edibles

The State of Michigan has put out new rules for what types of medical marijuana edible food products (or medibles, for those acquainted) that dispensaries may sell. The rule: No foods that would require refrigeration can be sold. Only those foods that can sit on a shelf without refrigeration are allowed for sale. The reason for this is refrigerated foods may grow harmful toxins without refrigeration.

Types of marijuana foods allowed include breads, cookies, brownies, popcorn granola, coffee, dehydrated fruits and vegetables, dry herbs, and sweets. Types of marijuana foods that will not be allowed include ice creams, dairy products, fish, meat, and cheesecakes.

Did your favorite food not make the cut? This rule on medibles may change in the future as the development of marijuana food products advances.

Detroit Puts Cap on Number of Dispensaries within City

Michigan’s largest city has decided how many dispensaries will be allowed to operate. The city council put that number at 75. Right now, there are 62 dispensaries operating.

Currently, none of those dispensaries within Detroit are licensed by the state per the rules of the Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act. The current deadline for licensing is September 15^th, or the dispensaries risk being shut down. That deadline has been extended in the past, however, and may be extended again due to the slow processing of marijuana business applications by the state.

People v. Mansour: Confusing Court of Appeals Opinion

The Court of Appeals recently issued People v. Mansour to the consternation of the medical marijuana community. The opinion says that caregivers and patients do not receive the protections of the Medical Marijuana Act when they are in possession of any amount of unusable marijuana. Unusable marijuana includes marijuana that has been recently harvested and is in the process of being cured.

Marijuana being cured is the process by which freshly harvested marijuana is dried before consumption. Freshly harvested marijuana cannot be immediately smoked, it must be dried first. It is technically unusable marijuana. This means every single person who grows marijuana is at some point in possession of “unusable marijuana.” Can every single person who grows medical marijuana lose the protections of the law? That doesn’t make any sense. The opinion will likely be overturned by the Michigan Supreme Court.

 Author Bio

 Sam Bernstein of ArborYpsi Law is a criminal defense lawyer in Ann Arbor, MI. Sam can be reached at 734.883.9584 or by e-mail at bernstein@arborypsilaw.com. ArborYpsi Law is located at 4158 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48108.