Types of Medical Marijuana Businesses

There are several types of Michigan medical marijuana businesses mentioned in the new medical marijuana laws. These businesses include:

• Marijuana growers: These businesses will cultivate medical marijuana
• Marijuana sellers/processors: These businesses will extract marijuana or infuse extractions of marijuana into various products
• Marijuana safety and compliance facilities: These businesses will test marijuana and provide analytics
• Secure marijuana transporters: These businesses transport medical marijuana from one facility to another

If you decide to get a medical marijuana license, you should determine which part of the process in which you are most interested, or just as importantly, for which license you have the most transferable skills. After doing so, speak with an experienced medical marijuana attorney who can protect your rights.

Marijuana Cultivation / Growers

Businesses that cultivate medical marijuana will be subject to limits under new regulations. These limits will be based on the class of license that the business owner receives.

If their business has a Class A license, they can grow up to 500 marijuana plants. If someone's business has a Class B license, they can grow up to 1,000 marijuana plants. Finally, if an individual's business has a Class C license, they can grow up to 1,500 marijuana plants.

These limitations might impact which class of license a business owner secures because the more plants the larger, and more expensive the business. As many entrepreneurs already know, larger is not always better, and larger certainly does not always mean more profitable.

Marijuana Processing

Unless smoked, before marijuana can be consumed by a patient, it must be prepared or "processed" for such consumption.  Businesses that make marijuana "edibles" would want this kind of license.

More broadly stated, those businesses with a processor's license can purchases marijuana from a grower, and then extract resin from resin it.  They are also able to or create marijuana-infused products.

Marijuana Testing, Compliance and Safety Labs

Of the types of Michigan medical marijuana businesses, testing and safety labs are especially significant. To assure quality and safety, medical marijuana and medical marijuana products must get tested before they can be sold. Testing labs will be designed to test marijuana for CBD and THC levels before the product is ready for sale.

They will also test for unsafe contaminants in the marijuana. All of this occurs at the testing labs, also known as safety compliance facilities. In doing so, the business owners are ensuring the legitimacy of their business, as well as protecting the safety of those who choose to use medical marijuana.

Marijuana Transporters

Those who move medical marijuana and medical marijuana products between businesses must have their own license. This is a transportation license. These transporters do not have ownership of the marijuana. They also cannot arrange the contracts of other businesses.

Under the new laws, all employees and provisions regarding marijuana are protected in a legitimate medical marijuana business. For licensed facilities and for those who rent property from licensees, there are limitations on search and seizure by the police.

Marijuana Selling / Provisioning

According to the new laws, the commercial selling of marijuana will take place at "provisioning" centers. A provisioning center is any commercial property where marijuana is sold at retail. The operative word here is "commercial."

A non-commercial location used by a caregiver to assist a patient connected to the caregiver is not a provisioning center.  Provisioning centers will obtain their products either directly from a commercial grower or provisioner.  If you want to know more about the different types of Michigan medical marijuana business that exist, consult a qualified drug lawyer who can advocate for you.

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