Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law Seeing Changes

[bobandtorey]

There are changes for Michigan's medical marijuana law. That's because Governor Snyder signed more bills into law.

The new measures will have an effect on the 2008 voter approved law.

 

The changes will effect patient- physician relationships, caregivers, insurances, and medical marijuana identification. Now, the dispute is over whether the changes were necessary..

 

The biggest change will be the stricter laws on doctor-patient relationships. No longer will appointments be run via skype.

 

"We had a clinic that you could see a doctor over the internet and that is simply inappropriate," said Senator Rick Jones ®.

 

Lansing marijuana distributor Tim Jenkins says the new laws will only be harming customers.

 

"Michigan in s a rural state not everyone can drive here to get certified," said Jenkins.

 

Caregivers will have stricter laws as well, no longer can someone with a felony be certified or be growing marijuana for patients...

 

"Rapist and people who have sold illegal drugs have applied and gotten caregiver cards. This new law will insure safety for those seniors," said Jones.

 

But Jenkins says he sees a flaw with that law as well.

 

"There are people who get in trouble at age 18 and 7 years later are running a legitimate medical marijuana operation with customers," said Jenkins.

 

All the new laws Jones says are to weed out those who are using the medicine for recreational use, but Jenkins says he doesn't see the point.

 

"We have been bending over backwards to uphold the states law although we prob don't agree with 95% of it," said Jenkins.

 

The laws will come into effect within 90 days says Jones and there are more still to come.

 

"I hope Snyder will sign a bill next week saying that auto insurance will not have to pay for medical marijuana," said Jones.

 

http://www.wilx.com/news/headlines/Michigans-Medical-Marijuana-Law-Seeing-Changes-185173342.html?mobile=yes

[Dr. Bob]

Well the pity of it is that the prohibition against telemedicine flies in the face of what is being done with other fields of medicine on the state and federal level. Medical marijuana certifications, when done based on medical records, are a consult visit. So long as there is face to face interaction via telemedicine, it is just fine. There is no in person exam for chronic pain, crohns, seizures, etc. They are confirmed on treatment records. Many consults in rural areas of the state are already being done by telemedicine- both on the state level and at the VA for example. Let's not forget other fields that use telemedicine, including the courts and social security hearings.

 

The biggest impact of this will be in the rural areas of the state- N. Lower Michigan and the UP. Both are my prime service area. I travel extensively to these areas, most are serviced in person at least twice a month at regular offices (TC, Marquette). While this decreases the availability of certification in these areas from 22 days a month to 2-4 days a month, it will still be there. All it does it take out the cherry pickers from downstate that come up with hotel clinics to sell signatures or do their work through the mail or on-line 'forms' that don't involve any contact between dr/pt. It will also remove the out of state docs taking Michigan patients, but not being available to those same patients to testify in court if needed. You can't force an out of state doc to come to court in Michigan without paying their travel expenses from Montana or wherever they are.

 

In any event, we'll get 'er done.

 

Dr. Bob

[bobandtorey]

Well the pity of it is that the prohibition against telemedicine flies in the face of what is being done with other fields of medicine on the state and federal level. Medical marijuana certifications, when done based on medical records, are a consult visit. So long as there is face to face interaction via telemedicine, it is just fine. There is no in person exam for chronic pain, crohns, seizures, etc. They are confirmed on treatment records. Many consults in rural areas of the state are already being done by telemedicine- both on the state level and at the VA for example. Let's not forget other fields that use telemedicine, including the courts and social security hearings.

 

The biggest impact of this will be in the rural areas of the state- N. Lower Michigan and the UP. Both are my prime service area. I travel extensively to these areas, most are serviced in person at least twice a month at regular offices (TC, Marquette). While this decreases the availability of certification in these areas from 22 days a month to 2-4 days a month, it will still be there. All it does it take out the cherry pickers from downstate that come up with hotel clinics to sell signatures or do their work through the mail or on-line 'forms' that don't involve any contact between dr/pt. It will also remove the out of state docs taking Michigan patients, but not being available to those same patients to testify in court if needed. You can't force an out of state doc to come to court in Michigan without paying their travel expenses from Montana or wherever they are.

 

In any event, we'll get 'er done.

 

Dr. Bob

 

Then will the courts have to pay for the Doc? If you prove that you have no $$

Like they do if you need a court appt Lawyer it is his job to defen you or is that also a pipe dream

 

[bobandtorey]

Well the pity of it is that the prohibition against telemedicine flies in the face of what is being done with other fields of medicine on the state and federal level. Medical marijuana certifications, when done based on medical records, are a consult visit. So long as there is face to face interaction via telemedicine, it is just fine. There is no in person exam for chronic pain, crohns, seizures, etc. They are confirmed on treatment records. Many consults in rural areas of the state are already being done by telemedicine- both on the state level and at the VA for example. Let's not forget other fields that use telemedicine, including the courts and social security hearings.

 

The biggest impact of this will be in the rural areas of the state- N. Lower Michigan and the UP. Both are my prime service area. I travel extensively to these areas, most are serviced in person at least twice a month at regular offices (TC, Marquette). While this decreases the availability of certification in these areas from 22 days a month to 2-4 days a month, it will still be there. All it does it take out the cherry pickers from downstate that come up with hotel clinics to sell signatures or do their work through the mail or on-line 'forms' that don't involve any contact between dr/pt. It will also remove the out of state docs taking Michigan patients, but not being available to those same patients to testify in court if needed. You can't force an out of state doc to come to court in Michigan without paying their travel expenses from Montana or wherever they are.

 

In any event, we'll get 'er done.

 

Dr. Bob

I also agree

And think its just another way to kill the amount of the sick people that need

Mmj to help them get off all the pison Pill's

 

 

[Dr. Bob]

Then will the courts have to pay for the Doc? If you prove that you have no $$

Like they do if you need a court appt Lawyer it is his job to defen you or is that also a pipe dream

 

No, they don't have to pay for it. You are the one mounting the defense. You pay for it. Court appointed lawyers get x number of dollars. Not only can you be billed by the court for those dollars, if they want to bring in experts, they have to go back to the court to get the money or you either pay it or don't have the expert.

 

There is an old saying, you get as much justice as you can afford.

 

Just because you come up with a legal theory you want the attorney to use or have some experts you think might be helpful, unless you are OJ Simpson and can afford a whole 'dream team' don't think you are going to get one appointed for you free of charge from the court.

 

Dr. Bob

[Dr. Bob]

But educated guesses based on logic and understanding of the way laws are constructed and interpreted is always better than simple guesses based on a desired outcome.

 

Dr. Bob

[bobandtorey]

No, they don't have to pay for it. You are the one mounting the defense. You pay for it. Court appointed lawyers get x number of dollars. Not only can you be billed by the court for those dollars, if they want to bring in experts, they have to go back to the court to get the money or you either pay it or don't have the expert.

 

Thanks

I do understand that they won't pay but will they pay and then you can pay them back only if you lose

And I know that a court appt Lawyer is not free but I think you pay so much as to you encome

 

we went to court and asked the judge for some $$ to help us in locating experts because we our both on S.S .D and make under 25,000 and the judge said no because we have the $$ to pay are selfs so I guess her math is the new math 1+1= 4