Rumors are circulating that a new version of house bill 4209 will be released this month. So far the bills to regulate medical marijuana have changed in several ways since the where first introduced by Rep Mike Callton. In the last daft, the bills have turned into a tax and regulate bill similar to the liquor distribution model.
NPRA and the MCDA have been pushing hard for years but have not closed the loop yet. An important member of the professional cannabis industry in Michigan has leaked that the bills have again been redrafted to mitigate some of the over-reaching provisions in the bills. He also informed the MMM Report that MI Legalize is being used to put pressure on the legislature to act.
Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof has resisted Senator Jones’ request to dispatch the bills. Senator Jones is known for passing changes to the MMMA in lame duck session back in 2012. These changes made it easier to prosecute patients, caregivers and physicians that participate in the program. He seems highly motivated to move forward with HB 4209, but lacks enough support amongst Republicans to get it done.
Considering the fact that MI Legalize has very little chance of making the ballot it seems likely that this issue will again return in lame-duck in November after the elections.
