Governor Rick Snyder has signed a bill into law that clears the way for pharmacies to sell medical marijuana in Michigan.
But as The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher explains, that’s only if the federal government reclassifies cannabis as a legal prescription drug.
There’s no clear sign that will happen any time soon.
But if it does, the new law creates a framework for a medical marijuana distribution system separate from the patient-caregiver system that already exists in Michigan. Supporters of the measure say it would be safer for patients, because it would ensure all products are tested for mold and other toxins and impurities.
But many medical marijuana advocates say a competing system could undermine Michigan’s voter-approved law that legalized cannabis for medical use.