Michigan Chamber Approves 'Cannabis Safety Act' Restricting Medical Marijuana Cultivation By Caregivers

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday applauded the House Regulatory Reform Committee's approval of House Bills 5300-5302, known as the Michigan Cannabis Safety Act, which are designed to ensure all cannabis in Michigan is tested, labeled, tracked and licensed.

Opponents say the bills will tighten rules for medical marijuana caregivers in terms of plant allowances, product testing and where they can grow medical marijuana.

The legislation will create a new specialty medical grower (SMG) license for caregivers, limit the total number of plants a caregiver can grow to 12 and scale back the number of patients allowed from five to one.

On October 5th, the Michigan Chamber announced its full support for the bipartisan legislation and testified before the House Regulatory Reform Committee. Lawmakers and representatives from the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association (MCMA), which represents many of the state’s largest growers, processors and vertically integrated cannabis licensees, also testified in favor of the new rules, citing concerns over the safety of untested medical marijuana grown by caregivers.

Caregivers meanwhile say that they helped supply the state’s medical marijuana 

patients for nearly a decade before Michigan’s current regulatory structure was created in 2016, which was then followed by the 2018 law for recreational cannabis. 

Cannabis activists argue that those who spearheaded Michigan’s grassroots efforts to legalize medical and recreational marijuana are now being pushed out by big cannabis. 

The bills will now move to the House floor where the legislation will require a three-quarters vote of support from the House and Senate, as well as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s signature.