In accordance with Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order, “Temporary restrictions on
certain events, gatherings, and businesses,” the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) is
taking proactive steps to ensure medical marijuana patients, caregivers, and adult-use
customers continue to have access to safety-tested products. This Advisory Bulletin is
being issued to update and consolidate any previous guidance the MRA has issued.
The following is effective immediately and is a continuation of previous authorizations
and restrictions the MRA has issued and will remain in effect under the Executive Order
or any successive orders until the Executive Order is terminated unless otherwise
specified in this bulletin:
Expired Registry Identification Cards
Licensed provisioning centers and retailers may continue to temporarily sell or transfer
marijuana to a patient or caregiver who presents a registry identification card that
expired within the preceding 60 days. Additionally, the MRA has asked law enforcement
to exercise discretion when interacting with someone with an expired registry
identification card.
Applications for new registry identification cards are still being processed. Instructions
and the online portal are available at www.michigan.gov/mmp. Medical marijuana
patients in Michigan who apply for their marijuana registry card online may use their
approval email as a temporary substitute for a valid registry card in order to obtain their
medication the same day they are approved.
Expired Driver Licenses and Expired Government-Issued Identification Cards
Pursuant to the MMFLA Administrative Rules and MRTMA Emergency Rules,
registered qualifying patients, caregivers, and adult-use customers 21 years of age or
older are required to present their valid driver’s license or government-issued
identification card bearing a photographic image prior to a provisioning center or retailer
selling or transferring marijuana to these individuals
However, Secretary of State offices have only recently reopened by appointment only.
Therefore, individuals may not be able to renew their driver’s licenses or government issued identification cards in a timely manner until the Secretary of State has fully
reopened.
Licensed provisioning centers and retailers may continue to temporarily sell or transfer
marijuana to a patient, caregiver, or customer who has an expired driver license or
government-issued identification card during home delivery and curbside sales.
Licensed Medical Marijuana Facilities and Adult-Use Establishment
All licensed medical marijuana facilities and adult-use establishments are permitted to
continue to engage in regulated activities as authorized by the license(s) issued.
Licensees must adhere to the requirements issued under the Executive Order and are
encouraged to review additional guidance here. Additional guidance may be found at
www.michigan.gov/coronavirus.
MMFLA and MRTMA Prequalification Extension
On March 18, 2020, the prequalification status expiration date for MMFLA and MRTMA
applicants were extended for a period of 90 days for the following:
All applications currently in prequalification status. All applications currently in an approved extension of prequalification status.
All applications granted prequalification status through June 18, 2020.
Effective immediately, the prequalification status expiration date for the MMFLA and
MRTMA applicants identified above is extended until the MRA’s topic-based
administrative rules take effect. When the rules take effect, the prequalification
expiration date for these applicants will automatically be extended to 2-years from the
date the prequalification was approved.
MMFLA and MRTMA License Issuance Process – Temporary
On March 16, 2020, the following took effect:
Licenses are effective and allow licensees to begin operations upon payment of
the regulatory assessment fee (medical facility licenses) or initial licensure fee
(adult-use establishment licenses). The fee due is the fee that was in effect on
the date the license was approved Licenses will no longer be available for pickup on-site at MRA. Licenses will be
printed and mailed by certified mail on the next Tuesday or the next Friday
following the day of the week that payment of the fee is received as indicated in
the chart below.
Payment days and respective license printing days are as follows:
Date of Payment License Printing Day
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday Friday
Thursday, Friday Tuesday
Saturday, Sunday (online only) Tuesday
If a state holiday falls on the day before or the day of a license printing day, the license
will be printed and sent by certified mail on the next regularly scheduled license printing
day.
Telemedicine for Registry Card Patients
The written certification required for issuance of a medical marijuana patient registry
card does not require the medical evaluation conducted by a licensed physician to be
conducted in person. Relevant medical evaluations may, and to the greatest extent
possible must, be conducted via telemedicine. Please review Executive Order No 2020-
86 for details. This order is effective immediately and remains in effect during any state
of emergency or state of disaster arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The temporary prohibitions and allowances in this bulletin are effective today, unless
otherwise specified, and will be terminated when the Executive Order is no longer in
effect.
A complete copy of the Rules can be found here. More information on the MRA can be
found at the agency website: www.michigan.gov/MRA. Executive Orders issued by
Governor Whitmer can be found here