Future of Caregiver's

[Lancy]

What do you think is going to happen to the caregiver/patient relationship as the new laws come into effect?  Is there a desire to eliminate or tightly regulate us?  Or, just leave as is?

[t-pain]

back in 2013, when sb660 passed, people were worried about caregivers being eliminated.

of course the police always want to kill medical marijuana.

even the author of the bills in 2016 (michigan represenative R-Callton) said "if you vote yes on these bills it will get rid of caregivers".

 

in my personal opinion i dont think they will get rid of caregivers. but the legislature is full of republicans and anything can happen. i think the best argument for the caregiver model is that you, or your caregiver, can grow plants at a much cheaper (and untaxed) price than the dispensary model.

[Easy E]

Is it possible for the state to eliminate caregivers or would the people of MI have to vote on removing caregivers from the act?

More questions then answers, sorry. Interesting topic though. 

I'm guessing if they could have eliminated caregivers, they would have already. Just my guess with the info at hand.

6 hours ago, t-pain said:

even the author of the bills in 2016 (michigan represenative R-Callton) said "if you vote yes on these bills it will get rid of caregivers".

Interesting! I read a lot of news articles and I never picked up that bit. 

[t-pain]

oooops i misquoted, callton said "end home grows" not "end caregivers"

 

yeah if they wanted to remove caregivers they could have done it in the past 8 years. it would not have to go to a vote of the people, but a 3/4 majority vote. they usually get the 3/4 vote required.

[Easy E]

Still interesting, thanks for the clarification.

Thanks for clearing that up for me! Glad to know how it works.

I'm guessing Callton thinks the tremendous quality and low everyday prices of Factory Farmed Medical Cannabis will make "home grows" obsolete, lol? Or maybe it was a good way to get votes? Who knows, fun to joke about though. 

 

[Restorium2]

They didn't remove caregivers because caregivers/patients pay the State money. That would have been totally ignorant and not serving anyone.

Now when you look to the future, and it becomes lucrative to end caregiver and personal patient grows, they will end them. 

What that really means is when there is a better avenue for making money off of Michigan cannabis grows the State will follow that path to the bank. It's a no brainer. It's like thinking about whether your dog will eat that porterhouse you left on the floor when you went to the store. If you wanted to keep your steak then you shouldn't have left it on the floor. If you left your dog in charge of your steak then you know what will happen eventually. We voted in some seriously selfish dogs and they will eat our steaks, no doubt about it. 

Edited December 4, 2017 by Restorium2

[mibrains]

ask yourself this one question-

do you really think the state of Michigan will allow a mostly unregulated caregiver/grower system to operate right along side of one that is regulated and taxed to the end degree?

why would they allow us to undercut their money maker?

it seems as tho my days as a caregiver are most likely numbered and dwindling...

i can only hope they leave us alone, however i really and sincerely doubt they will... my prediction is near July of 2018 they will announce it after a super-majority congressional vote that takes place around 420 where in they announce the systematic end of caregivers in the following 2 years....as patient cards expire they will not have the option to renew with a caregiver.

i don't know....

i am merely speculating.....

we will all see together

i am planning for change of some type.... just not sure what... or when...

so long as people can get the cannabis they need at a quality and price they can afford...who am i to judge?

 

[semicaregiver]

I do not see the elimination of the caregiver system to be a high priority once they pass the recreational legalization ballot question.   It includes home growing.   With everyone allowed to grow at home, it will kind of nullify LEO's interest in just going after caregivers.  

[mibrains]

i hear what your saying

however....

even tho under recreational rules everyone can grow their own cannabis at home... it still means no one can sell - except caregivers.

i suspect recreational people will be very similar to the way patients are now and either choose not to grow at home, will not be able to grow at home, or will not be any good at it and still want to gain their supplies from a storefront.

a lot of people will try to grow... some will even do ok i bet..

as a caregiver i am direct competition to a regulated and taxed entity because i can legally sell to my patient.

i feel like LEO will love to have the caregivers eliminated because then they would KNOW that no sales can occur outside a storefront and so they have it easier to get there 2 buys from those who would still try to do it and circumnavigate the tax stamp... it is all about that tax stamp after all and not about what people want or need (insert sarcasm disclaimer here)

[zeebudz]

Doubtful if the caregiver model will survive at all. If it's taxed, ain't no way the gummint gonna allow private folks to grow and sell. Just like tobaccy, you can grow your own but can't sell what you grow.

And cg's growing cheaper than a commercial operation growing massive amounts of cannabis? Totally doesn't make economic sense.  I can go into a dispensary and choose 30 different quality strains, many for $8 even at the 1 gram quantity. Could YOU break even by selling $8 grams? 'Course that's without tax.

[Restorium2]

The 30 strains they offer pale in comparison to what I grow. Dispensaries are for people who have to accept something not as good and more expensive because they can't grow their own. Better for less, that's what we do. 

[John Dutcher]

Remember, it takes 75% of the state congress to change the caregiver program. Remember, it was an amendment to the state constitution. From all I have read, it won't change a thing for caregiver/patient relationship!!

[mibrains]

39 minutes ago, John Dutcher said:

Remember, it takes 75% of the state congress to change the caregiver program. Remember, it was an amendment to the state constitution. From all I have read, it won't change a thing for caregiver/patient relationship!!

correct

they did it with the Walsh package of bills in 2012 which left all of us with the bad transportation rules added to the wrong section of the law

after they voted the condensed 4 bill package down..well 3 of the 4 at that time. i watched it live via the internet back in 2012... then they left the session, went behind closed doors while we all went to bed.  When we woke up in the morning all 4 bills had been passed with the required super majority at 420AM.

it does not take much effort at all to gain a super majority. .. well ok it takes a lot of effort and a bunch of deals to be made with a whole lot of congress people.  I feel like many peoples rights were potentially eroded in the process because they made the deals so complex and tacked on so many things for so many districts to get "the pass" that everyone got a free bill or huge future favor that night passed for their district.... our government works on who owes whom what favor these days... not on what is in the best interest of our/their community and we the people get whats left.

[John Dutcher]

Sorry, Thought I had read that it was a constitutional amendment, at least I was right about the 75% requirement LOL!!