Michigan’s medical marijuana dispensaries will no longer be able to buy and sell untested cannabis products from caregivers.
The new rules are actually old rules that the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency says it will enforce. That's following a court ruling earlier this week.
The ruling allowed dozens of unlicensed provisioning centers to remain open. But the ruling also allows the state to move forward with rules requiring the centers to get their marijuana products only from licensed growers or processors.
“In particular we want to make sure licensed provisioning centers knew there was no longer an allowance to bring in caregiver products in directly,” says Andrew Brisbo, the executive director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency.
Centers will be allowed to dispense marijuana products they purchased from caregivers before April 30th, but only with patient consent.
Brisbo says he can’t put an estimate on how long it will take for the centers to exhaust what’s left of their untested supply.
The new rules don’t just leave some caregivers with a surplus of marijuana. They will be allowed to sell it to licensed growers and processes, who will then be able to test it to see if it meets state standards.
Here’s a rundown from the Marijuana Regulatory Agency’s notice to cannabis businesses:
Licensed Provisioning Centers
- Licensees may obtain marijuana products only from a licensed grower or licensed processor.
- Licensees must obtain patient consent on a form provided by the MRA prior to selling any marijuana products obtained from a caregiver on or before April 30, 2019 that have not been tested in full compliance with the law and administrative rules.
- Licensees must enter all inventory into the statewide monitoring system immediately upon receipt.
- Licensees, before any sale or transfer, must verify – and confirm with government issued photo identification – with the statewide monitoring system that a patient or primary caregiver holds a valid registry identification card.
- Licensees must enter all sales in the statewide monitoring system and must determine sales will not exceed daily purchasing limits.
- Licensees must notify the MRA within one business day of becoming aware of any adverse reaction to a marijuana product sold or transferred.
Licensed Growers and Licensed Processors:
- Licensees may obtain marijuana products from caregivers.
- Licensees must enter all inventory into the statewide monitoring system immediately upon receipt.
- Licensees may only transfer marijuana products that have been tested in full compliance with the law and administrative rules.
- Licensees must tag or package all inventory that has been identified in the statewide monitoring system.
- Licensees must transfer marijuana products by means of a secure transporter, except where exempted under law.
- Licensees must notify the MRA within one business day of becoming aware of any adverse reaction to a marijuana product sold or transferred.
