April 4, 2013

Today is the first day of the fifth year of our Michigan Medical Marihuana Act. During those five years, I have found and hosted compassion clubs meeting, participated and attended expos, workshops, and international Social Forums. I have had the chance to meet hundreds of people; meeting that was possible because of the MMMA. I have discussed the medical use of marihuana with patients, patients’ families, various levels lawyers, law officials, lawmakers, doctors of different specialties, clergy, and college professors.

I have written a cookbook with contained medical related entries and ingredients. I conducted and completed a survey on marihuana’s medicinal use in Michigan. These items were then included in the work that was gathered and composed for my Master’s Thesis. I recently discovered that my professor lost, tossed, or somehow made my work disappear.

But there was a world outside of me. A world where people were being arrested for following what they thought was Michigan’s law. This is a world where some people bumped against the law’s fringes, while other boldly stepped across the fringe. I have said before, “My respect to those who are willing to step into the bunny muffin that the rest of us are happy to walk around.

Cities around the state came with dances to be danced, and hoops to be jumped. A handful wanted inspections, some had fees, and a few had licenses. Those who wanted total restrictions were taken to court and made to back-down.

There were major changes proposed for the MMMA. Changes did come, but there were not the heart-pounding, blood-letting, Act-ending changes we feared. There are other changes being proposed, as well as new, accommodating law on the horizon.

Looking ahead five years and beyond, I see plant count being reduced to 6 – including 3 mature. Medibles and topicals will have a different weight standard than the dried, usable material. Local government will decide outdoor grows. Honestly, what might work in Lapeer County, might not work in Wayne. In fact, what might work in Trenton might not work in Detroit. There will be more states aboard the medical marihuana bandwagon, plus 1 or 2 that will decriminalized. I see the Federal government not giving approval (after all- the world is watching), but like marriage and capital punishment, treating medical use as a “state’s right” issue.