Michigan Medical Marijuana Caregivers Say No To Proposed Limits
Michigan Medical marijuana caregivers are saying no to some new proposed limits on how many plants they can grow.
When marijuana started to become legal for medical purposes in the state of Michigan, it was independent growers, cultivating cannabis usually at home, either in a grow room or outdoors. They were allowed to grow 72 plants and have five patients.
Then as medical marijuana started to become a booming business model, official medical operations began opening as the laws kept moving forward. This is when the prices started to skyrocket.
Marijuana was then legalized for recreational use, and then what I call the "Green Rush" (kind of like the California "Gold Rush", began for people to open stores to sell marijuana. This is also when big money became a part of the puzzle, which is usually when they try to cut out the small business operators.
According to FOX 17, members of Michigan Caregivers United showed up on the steps of Michigan's Capitol Wednesday to protest against a series of proposed changes to Michigan's cannabis laws that would limit the number of plants people with caregiver licenses could grow and require product testing along with some other changes.
It seems the state would have regulated the independent caregivers right out of the gate but that really wasn't the case.
Not everyone who needs medical marijuana has the money to pay the high prices from the larger medical marijuana dispensaries. The independent growers keep the prices down and easier for those who have serious medical needs like cancer patients, those who need to control seizures and even used for those trying to recover from opioid addiction.
I knew it wouldn't be long before the much larger marijuana operations would obtain lobbyists who are trying to shut down the small independent operators just like in every other business that grows in Michigan and all across this country.
FOX 17 reported that lobbyists for the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, which of course include some of the largest commercial growers in the state, are arguing for mandatory product testing and reducing the number of cannabis plants a caregiver can grow.
This is just another example of greed, but on the other hand, I do agree there should be mandatory testing since these people are caring for patients. That makes sense. But, limiting the number of plants is just trying to suppress the small independent caregivers and once again the bigger companies are just trying to keep all the money.
The whole point of these proposed new laws are to reduce competition for larger companies and either wipe out independent caregivers or totally damage the business they actually helped build and get legal for the big companies to come on board. Hopefully the state of Michigan recognizes this and don't succumb to the wishes of big money once again.