It seemed like a major victory when both bills passed the House, back on December 12, 2013 -- the Provisioning Center Bill passed by 95-14 and the Concentrates Bill passed by an overwhelming majority of 100-9. However, months passed as both bills were then sent to languish in Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville's Government Operations Committee, where he planned to "sit on" the bills for a while, because he didn't "want this ballot initiative to take over."
At that time he said he was not in favor of dispensaries. It seems he has since changed his mind, however, and on July 15, 2014, Richardville's Government Operations Committee voted both the Provisioning Center and Concentrates Bills out of Committee, to be voted on by the full Senate, likely in September. While Mr. Richardville claims that the current bills will look much different when voted on in September, we have a good idea of the bills' general framework.
Edibles will no longer be some hazy, undefined grey area under the MMMA. They will be regulated and counted toward a patient's allowable 2.5 ounces. How did the lawmakers decide to calculate the weight of edibles?
Under the Concentrates Bill, one ounce of "usable marijuana" is equivalent to:
- 16 ounces of a marijuana-infused product, if in a solid form (like Cookies, Candies, Butter)
- 7 grams of a marijuana-infused product, if in a gaseous form (This may be referring to a product that does not yet exist.)
- 72 fluid ounces of a marijuana-infused product, if in a liquid form (like a Tincture, Coconut Oil Olive Oil, Beverage, etc.).
These are known as "usable marijuana equivalents." A qualifying patient or caregiver must not exceed 2.5 ounces of BOTH usable marijuana AND usable marijuana equivalents to maintain their Section 4 Immunity under the MMMA.*
*Remember: Fulfillment of this requirement alone will not provide immunity under Section 4 of the MMMA. For more information on the MMMA, please contact Komorn Law, PLLC at 855-420-LEGAL.