LANSING – It may not have a 30-minute guarantee, but medical marijuana patients may be able to get home delivery of their weed later this year.
The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs held a public hearing Monday on proposed rules governing medical marijuana. The biggest change in the rules is allowing for home delivery of cannabis for people with medical marijuana cards.
It’s an issue that has been contemplated by state regulators for months.
“Now that the (Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation ) has had enough time to research the issue, we’ve decided that it is a benefit for the state’s patients and it can be done in a safe manner,” said David Harns, spokesman for LARA.
Home delivery will become an option for licensed dispensaries as soon as permanent rules are approved by a legislative commission and put in place by LARA later this year and after it approves each dispensary's plans for the service. Those plans must include proof that employees meet state requirements.
Travis Copenhaver, a Royal Oak lawyer who has several marijuana dispensary clients, said the rule change is a smart one.
“In California, home delivery is booming,” he said. “It’s just another opportunity for businesses to create new and exciting ways to operate. A lot of dispensaries are going to take advantage of it, especially the ones who are targeting other areas of the state that are harder to get to.”
Jerry Millen, who is awaiting a license for a dispensary in Walled Lake, said he broached the subject with the bureau earlier this year, especially as a way to help disabled patients at dispensaries.
“People who are disabled can’t get out of their car and we can’t do curbside service,” he said. “So delivery is the way to go. If you find a place that has what you need and it’s 45 minutes away and they’re willing to deliver to you, it’s a great idea.
“This is going to help people who can’t get out or people who are apprehensive about going into a (dispensary)."
As an employee of the dispensary, delivery workers will have to go through a background check before being allowed to work for the facility. They will be able to deliver up to 2.5 ounces of medical marijuana a day to registered patients and up to 10 ounces of pot per month. They won’t be able to make more than three deliveries per trip and their vehicles must be equipped with navigational systems so the dispensaries can keep track of where they are during deliveries.
Because of the small amounts of marijuana being delivered, the service won't fall under the secure transport license designation. That license covers transportation of large amounts of marijuana from grow facilities to dispensaries for sale.
The dispensary will be able to accept online orders and payments from qualified patients or accept cash payment upon delivery.
The public comment period for the new rules will remain open until Friday and then be incorporated into a new draft of the rules. The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, a body made up of 12 state legislators — six from the House of Representatives and six from the state Senate with equal representation from both political parties — has to officially approve the rules before they are enacted.
Kathleen Gray covers the marijuana industry for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her: 313-223-4430, kgray99@freepress.com or on Twitter @michpoligal.
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