Michigan marijuana dispensaries must close?

~ Jason Schwartz

New ruling on medical marijuana dispensaries in Michigan:

Medical marijuana dispensaries in Michigan may have to close their doors after a potentially far-reaching court decision Wednesday declared Compassionate Apothecary in Mt. Pleasant a public nuisance.

The unanimous ruling by the three-judge panel of the state Court of Appeals was declared a statewide precedent by Attorney General Bill Schuette, an opponent of the 2008 voter-passed law legalizing marijuana for medical use.

“The court made it clear that these dispensaries, these pot shops, have to be closed down,” he said.

At issue was whether certified users could store pot and sell excess to other patients.

Many of the nearly 100,000 Michiganders certified to use marijuana for pain relief go to dispensaries. Patients also can grow their own pot or get it from a caregiver. Michigan Medical Marijuana Magazine estimates 400 to 500 dispensaries are in business statewide.

Published by Jason Schwartz

I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I no longer work at Dawn Farm and am now the Director of Behavioral Medicine at a community hospital, and a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work. Views expressed here are my own. Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.

One thought on “Michigan marijuana dispensaries must close?”

  1. Here’s a thought – if it’s a prescription medicine, why not get it at a pharmacy? What does that take the fun out of it or something?

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