State Faces Backlog As 56,513 Applied For Medical Marijuana Cards In 19 Months

[DT61]

It seems to me that cities are being advised in meetings along with Melanie Brim of the MDCH on how to over come obstacles in regulation.

 

(pulled from thc4u.com)

Brim was one of three speakers at a discussion titled the Medical Marijuana Act and Your Community.

 

Communities across the state have created ordinances to address vague parts of the law and to regulate or ban marijuana dispensaries. Last month, three businesses and 12 homes of medical marijuana distributors were raided in Oakland County.

 

Last week in Auburn Hills, a man was arrested on charges of having only a 4-foot chain link fence around his marijuana plants. State law requires that the plants be in a secured and locked area.

 

Speakers at Tuesday's event included Catherine Mish, the city attorney for Grand Rapids, one of the first cities in the state to enact an ordinance governing medical marijuana after the law took effect in April 2009, and Andria Ditschman of the Hubbard Law Firm in Lansing, which advises communities seeking to draft ordinances.

 

All said the law is too vague in areas.

 

State health officials are overwhelmed with applicants seeking to use marijuana legally

for medical conditions, a state official said Tuesday.

 

The Michigan Department of Community Health received 56,513 applications for its registry

of authorized users in the past 19 months, including new applications and renewals. It has

a policy to approve or deny applications in 15 days.

 

"We're not doing that," said Melanie Brim, director of the department's Bureau of Health Professions.

She discussed the problem at the Michigan Municipal League's annual convention at the Hyatt Regency

Hotel in Dearborn. Ditschman advised cities thinking of regulating medical marijuana to take a licensing

or zoning approach.

"You don't want to overregulate because that will set you up for litigation," she said.

 

Brim said that the health department is thousands of applications behind and now allows applicants who have waited at least 20 days to show a copy to law enforcement.

 

The department issued 32,270 new and renewal patient cards and 13,868 caregiver cards for people who assist those who have patient cards.

 

Brim said the department underestimated the number of applicants it would have.

 

Mish urged cities to join in lawsuits to determine whether the state law is valid under the "federal supremacy clause." It is not legal to grow, possess, use or sell marijuana under federal law.

 

Ditschman advised cities thinking of regulating medical marijuana to take a licensing or zoning approach.

 

"You don't want to overregulate because that will set you up for litigation," she said.

 

URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n768/a06.html

[elklake]

I know first hand what the long wait is all about but you should know you are legal as of day 21 after the state signs reciept of certified mail. Just carry all of your paperwork with a copy of the cashed check from the state and you are good to go. You are welcome in most compassion clubs and have the same rights as a hard card. I sent in my paperwork on may 21 and got my card last monday. Hang in there.

[Bisharoo]

I know first hand what the long wait is all about but you should know you are legal as of day 21 after the state signs reciept of certified mail. Just carry all of your paperwork with a copy of the cashed check from the state and you are good to go. You are welcome in most compassion clubs and have the same rights as a hard card. I sent in my paperwork on may 21 and got my card last monday. Hang in there.

 

So, can you tell the rest of us individual human beings, or is it a secret what is being done with our money by those who work for us???

[Southern Cross]

 

again, there is no reason why any of us should have to wait any longer for our cards from MDCH than what it takes the Secretary of State to issue and send us our driver's licenses in the mail - there is no reason!

Look at the quality of your drivers license compared to the lack of quality of our MMM cards.

 

For $25 original and $18 renewal we get a cool looking drivers license with a watermark, a magnetic stripe and a bar code.

 

For $100 original and $100 renewal we get a piece of plastic with some stuff glued on it. It's a joke, but I'm not laughing.

 

They feel so overworked that they need to outsource the process to a private company.

 

It seems clear that these people are incompetent and should be fired.

[+RevThad]

They are doing this on purpose so that LEO can arrest and take property away to sell. Then the courts get involved. More money into the lawyers and judges hands. Their is a method to their madness.

Section 9 covers this issue, and it is a shame that LEO and PAs cannot read simple English.

 

(b) If the department fails to issue a valid registry identification card in response to a valid application or renewal submitted pursuant to this act within 20 days of its submission, the registry identification card shall be deemed granted, and a copy of the registry identification application or renewal shall be deemed a valid registry identification card.

 

Which then entitles the named person on that paperwork to all of the protections of Section 4, which includes "shall not be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty in any manner, or denied any right or privilege, including but not limited to civil penalty or disciplinary action by a business or occupational or professional licensing board or bureau, for the medical use of marihuana in accordance with this act,"

 

As long as they are not over the limits provided in Section 4 (2.5 ounces and 12 plants per patient).

[+Dizledot]

http://www.mlive.com...tate_faces.html

 

The Detroit Free Press reports that the Michigan Department of Community Health has received 56,513 applications for its registry of authorized medical marijuana users in the past 19 months.

 

The department has a policy to approve or deny applications in 15 days. But Melanie Brim, director of the department's Bureau of Health Professions, says the department hasn't been able to do that.

 

Brim discussed the backlog Tuesday at the Michigan Municipal League's annual convention in Dearborn.

 

Michigan voters approved medical marijuana use in 2008.

Related topics: Medical Marijuana

 

 

The AG gave his opinion that they could NOT contract out the work to outside contractors and be in compliance of the law. They would have to try to change their own administrative laws to even attempt to contract this out. They are crying about the overwhelming amount of applications they are processing because it has NOT slowed down. Yes it's a pain to wait for our cards but in a way I'm glad to see this happening. It just goes to show we are a majority not to be screwed with!

 

Dizz

[Guest Marywanna]

I have been waiting since June 8th for my CG change...........And yeah,they cashed my check within a week of receiving it. I got my renewell back in 3 weeks,this is just plain stupid. Hire me! I need a job! I want to be a State employee and never have to worry about my job performance!

[+RevThad]

I have been waiting since June 8th for my CG change...........And yeah,they cashed my check within a week of receiving it. I got my renewell back in 3 weeks,this is just plain stupid. Hire me! I need a job! I want to be a State employee and never have to worry about my job performance!

I wonder if one of the fringe benefits of working for the state is having access to all of the meds they have been illegally seizing? Curious minds want to know.

[David1946]

With ever increasing numbers of Michigan residents applying to the MMMP maybe, just maybe some of the over zealous PA and Judges will start to think about their statements and rulings.

 

With possibly 1% of the Michigan population (100,000 residents) meeting MM certification standards that's a lot of vote's they could be throwing away by their over zealous actions and illegal arrests and raids.

[ToKiNLeGaLLy420]

All i know is that i am not looking forward for that 90 day plus wait to get my actual card... But its nice to know that it'll be on its ways sooner or later!!! I always catch myself before i complain about that wait cuz its a miracle Michigan legalized it for medical use... wow a dream come true for me!! no more methadone, morphine, oxy, suboxone, etc... and the addiction that goes with all that pharmacutical crap!!!

[+itssortalegal10]

The cynic in me wonders if such a statement by the director of the department's Bureau of Health Professions, isn't a backdoor way of putting registrations into question. By this I mean, she states the department isn't able to keep up, and therefore one can assume she means that they are not using due diligence in the process.

 

Causing some doubt, is a step in the direction of more mandates and rules changes by the department. Time to keep an eye out for any proposed changes...

Exactly what I was thinking if I read what you wrote correctly.. They made that statement and by making that statement sort of put out a warning that hey don't assume your approved after 15 days now because we cant do our job correctly. Therefore don't go by the 21 day plant a seed deal because you will get busted. Seems to me that despite the people's need and want for this medicine that they are doing everything or nothing rather they can to make sure having it is as hard as it can be for us. HOWEVER having said that, the number of applicants quoted is HUGE and that is a good thing..The more people that have cards and aps and everything the better That number will keep growing and eventually we will outnumber the police... What will those f-ers do then?

[AbsoluteRoyal]

The more people that have cards and aps and everything the better That number will keep growing and eventually we will outnumber the police... What will those f-ers do then?

 

use more force because they feel threatend I would guess

[+420Atheist]

They have gotten better, and the renewal turn around seems to be where all card issuing should be. That leaves an interesting question in my cynical mind, if they are able to get renewals done in such a timely manner (assuming they are supposed to verify all of the same information), why aren't they getting better on the initial applications? Is it because of the bottleneck or is it because of other more political reasons?

 

That is a good question. I wonder how the procedures differ for a renewal vs. the first time. I betting they are not calling the doctor to verify you are a patient on renewals.

[Budz-4-U]

15 weeks = 105 days this Friday, since they cashed my check.....still waiting. Way past my 20 days. Whatever.

 

104 Days.... Got my own Patient card today..... oh, doo dah day !!!

[Budz-4-U]

15 weeks = 105 days this Friday, since they cashed my check.....still waiting. Way past my 20 days. Whatever.

 

104 Days.... Got my own Patient card today..... oh, doo dah day !!!