Jacob Bell
New Member
LANSING, Mich. – Two Republican state senators said Tuesday they're planning legislation that would require people to live in Michigan for one year before getting state permission to use marijuana for medical purposes, a proposal aimed at stopping out-of-state pot growers from exploiting Michigan law.
The sponsors of the legislation said the current law can be abused by out-of-state marijuana growers setting up shop in homes rented in Michigan to try and avoid arrest in their home states.
Michigan State Police say they have had at least one instance where an out-of-state resident rented a home in Michigan, then got a state driver's license and a state-issued medical marijuana card. The out-of-state residents grow pot in the rental homes and return occasionally to check on the crop, selling the drug in their home states.
The practice is an abuse of Michigan's voter-approved medical marijuana law from 2008, said Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker of Van Buren County's Antwerp Township. She said the law wasn't intended as an excuse to grow marijuana to be sold for general, non-medical use.
"The voters felt it should only go to sick people," said Schuitmaker, who is working with Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge to draft the legislation.
The proposal would join at least a dozen other bills aimed at changing or clarifying the state's medical marijuana law. Courts, police and even some patients have said the law is vague.
Supporters of the current law worry lawmakers will make it tougher to get the drug.
A bill that advanced in a state Senate committee Tuesday would make clear that personal injury protection coverage in auto insurance policies couldn't be used to pay for medical marijuana.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: chron.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: Bill would require residency for medical marijuana
The sponsors of the legislation said the current law can be abused by out-of-state marijuana growers setting up shop in homes rented in Michigan to try and avoid arrest in their home states.
Michigan State Police say they have had at least one instance where an out-of-state resident rented a home in Michigan, then got a state driver's license and a state-issued medical marijuana card. The out-of-state residents grow pot in the rental homes and return occasionally to check on the crop, selling the drug in their home states.
The practice is an abuse of Michigan's voter-approved medical marijuana law from 2008, said Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker of Van Buren County's Antwerp Township. She said the law wasn't intended as an excuse to grow marijuana to be sold for general, non-medical use.
"The voters felt it should only go to sick people," said Schuitmaker, who is working with Sen. Rick Jones of Grand Ledge to draft the legislation.
The proposal would join at least a dozen other bills aimed at changing or clarifying the state's medical marijuana law. Courts, police and even some patients have said the law is vague.
Supporters of the current law worry lawmakers will make it tougher to get the drug.
A bill that advanced in a state Senate committee Tuesday would make clear that personal injury protection coverage in auto insurance policies couldn't be used to pay for medical marijuana.
News Hawk- Jacob Ebel 420 MAGAZINE
Source: chron.com
Contact: Contact Us
Copyright: Hearst Communications Inc.
Website: Bill would require residency for medical marijuana
