In just two weeks Michigan medical marijuana facilities will apply for licenses to do business in the state. Ahead of this date, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has finally released a comprehensive set of rules that will dictate business practices.
The emergency administrative rules are designed to preserve patient protections and provide them with access to safe medical marihuana,” Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation Director Andrew Brisbo told MLive.
“These rules also allow growers, processors, secure transporters, provisioning centers, and safety compliance facilities to operate under clear requirements.”
Though the department had announced some select requirements of operations with regards to issues like license stacking and capitalization standards, it had not fully released a clear view of what the marijuana business would look like in Michigan.
The legislature last year passed new laws allowing licensed businesses to grow, process, transport, test and dispense medical marijuana. The laws brought businesses like medical marijuana dispensaries out of a legal grey area and put LARA and its newly-formed BMMR in charge of hammering out the details of what would be allowed and disallowed under the new system.
While there was concerted lobbying behind the scenes by businesses vying to grab a piece of what is expected to be a $837 million business, these rules have been filed under emergency status due to the expedited time crunch. Applications for medical marijuana businesses open in Michigan Dec. 15.
