• Image Credit: "Cannabis sativa2" by Pauk via Wikimedia Commons

LANSING - Earlier in July, the Senate Committee passed two bills both pertaining to medical marijuana. House bill 5104, would allow for medical marijuana infused products, such as a candy or brownies. The second bill, house bill 4271, would allow municipalities to regulate the provisioning centers, which are boxed-stores that sell marijuana in different forms for medical purposes.

“It also provides for some local control of A.) whether the community even wants this type of facility in their community and B.) the location, the distance from churches, the distance from schools and there’s limitations on signage,” said Michael Callton, State Representative for the 87th District.

Several years ago, 63% of voters approved the Michigan Medical Marijuana act, which allowed a patient to have a recommendation from a doctor to either grow 12 plants of their own or contract with a caregiver who could take care of up to 5 people and grow their 12 plants for them.

“I don’t think this is working out too well because some people can’t grow their own. It’s very difficult to grow medical marijuana and then there’s not enough caregivers to contract with,” said Callton. “A second flaw in this is that it takes four to six months before your plants are medicine, and many people, especially some who have cancer and are dying and want it for appetite, they may be gone by the time their plants are medicine. So, I saw the need for a third way to get medical marijuana to the patient, which was to have a provisioning center.”

Both bills are pending approval from the Senate floor, which is expected to take place in September. Once both houses of the legislature agree on the same bill it then goes to the governor for signing.