Mich. Rejects Adding Autism, Asthma To Medical Pot List
LANSING (WWJ/AP) - A Michigan panel has given the preliminary go-ahead to add post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of illnesses qualifying for medical marijuana use in the state.
It would be the first addition since medical marijuana was approved by voters in 2008.
The Michigan Medical Marijuana Review Panel on Tuesday also rejected adding autism, asthma and insomnia to the list.
An earlier iteration of the panel added Parkinson's disease to the list — but a state agency denied the petitions in May because the yes votes didn't constitute a quorum.
A public hearing on PTSD and insomnia must be scheduled within 60 days. The head of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs will have final say on whether to add PTSD to the list of debilitating conditions.
Under state law, marijuana can be used to alleviate the symptoms of only certain illnesses if a person sees a doctor and gets a state-issued card. Patients can possess up to two ounces of ready-to-use marijuana and have up to 12 plants in a locked area.
Registered users can grow their own marijuana or get it from a caregiver who also is registered with the state.
Since the law passed, some, including state lawmakers, have said is vague and confusing to doctors, patients and law enforcement. Years later, questions still remain — and issues surrounding sharing, selling and otherwise dispensing the substance continue to be challenged and debated in court.
More than 130,000 people in Michigan are registered medical marijuana patients.
(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
