Michigan law is very specific about the procedure to obtain a Medical Marijuana card, how the application should be filled out, and what medical reasons are clinically appropriate for a patient to receive this card. As with any controversial law concerning a normally -illegal- substance, there are always those who will try to take advantage someone’s situation and use it for their own advantage. Fraud can enter into the use of medical marijuana very easily. In your hour of need, you need the application and State approval expedited both in a timely manner and according to the law. For sure, you need the help of a qualified and approved Medical Marijuana physician and experienced legal guidance to sort through the many legal ramifications and developing and changing rules of Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Program.
Seeing the wrong, or fraudulent, Medical Marijuana physician can actually put you in legal jeopardy. If the physician is a legitimate provider, he/she will do a thorough examination, collect the necessary medical information, diagnoses and documentation from the patient, and sign the Medical Marijuana Recommendation legal form. The physician also has to be an approved MD or DO – not a Physician’s Assistant. Another potential fraud cue is if the patient receives a prescription for Marijuana from a provider. Medical Marijuana cannot be prescribed as such, with a regular prescription – it has to be requested as a Medical Cannabis (Marijuana) Recommendation. Medical Marijuana prescriptions are illegal, as it is a federally labeled Schedule 1 drug – which cannot be prescribed by medical doctors to their patients.
You also have to be under the direct care of a physician for your Medical Marijuana needs, or the physician who examines you and receives the necessary documentation and diagnoses and writes the recommendation has to assume care for you. Another potential danger signal is if you receive a Medical Marijuana Recommendation for more than one year, as they can only be recommended for one year.
Michigan has a legal Medical Marijuana Program, pursuant to the Medical Marijuana law passed in 2008, which allows you to receive Marijuana Recommendations from a certified physician, apply for a State-issued Medical Marijuana ID Card, and has card registry and renewal fees established. The program also provides protections to Marijuana ID Card registrants, and provides for the future rules regarding administration, qualifications, enforcement and penalties for any violations of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act.
Requesting a Medical Marijuana card can be a confusing process at best for those who have serious illnesses that can be helped through the use of Medical Marijuana. At worst, a seriously ill person could find himself/herself in legal trouble if the Medical Marijuana Recommendation and Medical Marijuana ID Card are not acquired legally.
Contact the experience and legal expertise of Attorney Matthew T. Miller. for counsel – it is the wise thing to do! 231-726-3333.