Democrats held a press conference Wednesday, September 27, 2017 to propose legislation that would keep medical marijuana dispensaries open while the state gives out licenses.
Legislation was passed requiring the operations to shut down on December 15, while the state reviews license applications. State Rep. Yousef Rahbi says that rule defeats the purpose of the need for a licensing process.
Gov. Snyder signed legislation in 2016 giving the permission for state government to regulate the medical marijuana industry after the 2008 voter-initiated law was put into effect to legalize it which ultimately led to legal battles. According to sources, regulatory functions include the licensing, investigation and enforcement of medical marijuana growers, processors, secure transporters, provisioning centers and safety compliance facilities.
The law requires the Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation, housed in the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, to make licensing applications available by December 15, 2017. If dispensaries get shut down in December, the state would have to hand out licenses which would mean a longer wait time for patients.
