Dispensary Bill on Tap in Michigan

Concerned with what might happen if voters legalize recreational marijuana at the ballot next year, a Michigan lawmaker who has been a longtime ally of dispensaries is upping his game to get a statewide regulatory system passed in advance of the presidential election.

Republican State Rep. Mike Callton has been attempting to get dispensaries fully legalized for years now, but he’s always fallen short of his goal. To date, dispensaries remain technically illegal in Michigan, but they still operate – often in municipalities that have given them their blessing.

Callton’s new bill has undergone “major changes,” according to MLive.com, and he’s seeking support from law enforcement groups to get the measure passed. The new bill would establish a “multi-tiered medical marijuana system – similar to the model used to sell beer and wine,” MLive.com reported.

The bill would also include rules for licensing fees, sales taxes, a new agency to oversee the industry, product testing, packaging, advertising restrictions, and more. Callton said the MMJ system should be similar to pharmaceutical regulations, since cannabis is intended as medicine.

Meanwhile, a Democratic representative from Ann Arbor is planning to introduce a bill that would legalize adult-use cannabis. The bill, however, will likely face steep opposition in the Republican-controlled legislature.