It's been nearly three months since marijuana became legal in Michigan, and on Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order that establishes the Marijuana Regulatory Agency and abolishes the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation and Marihuana Licensing Board.
According to Whitmer, the agency combines previous authorities, functions and duties with the hopes of helping LARA efficiently regulate medical marijuana, and apply the same expertise to recreational marijuana.
The order will allow the agency to be responsible for administering laws related to medical and recreational marijuana and appoint an executive director to run the agency. On top of that, the agency will be the primary decision maker and hold four public meetings a year to hear complaints, and it will abolish the Bureau of Marjiuana Regulation and the Marihuana Licensing Board.
"This executive order will eliminate inefficiencies that have made it difficult to meet the needs of Michigan’s medical marijuana patients,” Whitmer said in a release. “All elements of this Agency have been designed to serve and better protect Michigan residents, and I’m eager to have a unified effort across state departments to make sure this process runs effectively and efficiently."
"This executive order establishes a clear framework that will allow our officers to be fair and more consistent when it comes to marijuana enforcement,” Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton said in the release. "The new system allows for more predictability, which will ultimately enhance public safety and keep our communities safe.”
There are several aspects of the former Bureau of Marijuana Regulation and Marihuana Licensing Board, and those include the Medical Marihuana Review Panel, the Marihuana Advisory Panel and the board.
