Its not a perfect set of bills but it will give access to patients who otherwise wouldn’t have any access, starts Adam Devaney, a limited license social worker who prescribes medical marijuana.
A package of bills passed the Michigan legislature on Wednesday… That would mean big changes for Michigan medical marijuana patients.
In the package, one bill would make provisioning centers pay a three percent tax on the income from medical marijuana sales.
Another bill requires people working in the industry to obtain state operating licenses.
And a third, would legalize other forms of medical marijuana, including oils and edibles.
9 and 10’s Megan Atwood spoke with someone who prescribes medical marijuana about what they think is good and bad about these bills.
We don’t tax medicine in Michigan. They just imposed 6% sales tax and 3% excise tax on marijuana for patients that is inconsistent with the way that taxation is done in the state of Michigan, Devaney goes on.
In the package of bills Governor Snyder’s expected to sign, the 3 percent tax on income from medical marijuana leaves prescribers wondering what the state thinks of marijuana, as other medicines are not taxed.
Devaney continues, I wonder if they are really saying that this is medicine or if they think it is not medicine. I believe that the taxation is inappropriate for medicine. The patients that typically just use the dispensaries, they may see an increase in the price that drives them to purchase more or less as it is available to them financially.
A different bill would allow non-smokable forms of marijuana. Adam Devaney is a limited license social worker at Chronic LLC Certification Center in Grand Traverse County and says non-smokeable forms are a great option for some patients.
One of the bills was to give back concentrates and edible products to patients so not only do they work with smaller doses because they are concentrated, but for people who don’t want to smoke it, it’s a great option, continues Adam Devaney.
Emerald Torrez works at the Laughing Buddha smoke shop in Traverse City, and says she hopes changes continue to be made when it comes to marijuana in Michigan.
I think it definitely has come a long way, but I definitely see a long way for it to go, says Torrez.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Package Of Bills Making Changes To Medical Marijuana
Author: Megan Atwood
Contact: (231) 775-3478
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Website: 9 & 10 News
