Michigan Court Rules On Medical Marijuana

The Michigan Court of Appeals has ruled that medical marijuana dispensaries are illegal under Michigan's 2008 medical marijuana law.

The Michigan Court of Appeals said that the law does not allow for patient-to-patient sales of the drug.

WZZM gives us more details about today's ruling:

The court ruled Wednesday in a case from mid-Michigan's Isabella County where people with medical marijuana cards sold pot to each other. The three-judge panel says the 2008 law and the state's public health code do not allow such sales.

It is the first time the appeals court has ruled in a case involving pot dispensaries. The Michigan Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals on other aspects of the medical marijuana law.

What happens next?  Mlive.com gives us an idea:

Attorney General Bill Schuette and lawmakers this month vowed to rewrite the voter-approved law to clarify that physicians who authorize the use of the drug have a “bona fide” relationship with the patient.

Lawmakers are also seeking to give local authorities greater zoning authority to restrict stores that have cropped up across the state.

Believing the law is purposefully vague, local officials have been frustrated by their inability to close down or regulate what Schuette calls "pot shops." Some cities have approved moratoriums while in others, like Lansing, dispensaries have flourished.

The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.