Once again, 7-19 million isn't a drop in the bucket for the budget within the State of Michigan.
Especially when in a state of recession.
It is dollars earned for the state, and not part of some imaginary budget dreamt up by Granholm.
and if it is utilized correctly could be 3-4 times that amount in a small period of time.
What about the 71 year-old woman from Lake Orion, Barb Agro ???
Medicine is medicine is medicine. If you want to define things as such, you should be willing to treat them as such as well.
No one comes into my house to inspect how many vicodins my pharmacist dispensed to me, or comes to count my tylenol in the middle of the night.
Gimme a break.
I know you can get a Michigan tax id number, but you failed to address any of the loopholes or issues I addressed regarding this matter.
You just regurgitated your original statement adding nothing.
Yeah, it says cannabis is illegal federally, period!
Maybe you should go spew some of this to Gary Peters and some of the other losers trying to reinterpret the law layed down by the taxpayers and voters of the State of Michigan.
I will never be happy.
Unlike you.
I am insatiable, and will not rest until everyone receives justice, and is allowed to exercise free will within the pursuit of liberty.
Here you go they actually made less then i thought off of this program. You forgot about the cost to actually run the government department for medical marijuana. The state released a report in 2010 about the possibility of outsourcing the marijuana program and they had numbers for the program.
Taken out of the document which can be found here
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/727_03_01_10_313352_7.pdf
B. Medical Marihuana Program Fees
MCL 333.26425 gives the Department the authority to establish application and
renewal fees that generate revenues sufficient to offset all expenses of implementing
and administering the MMA through the promulgation of Administrative Rules. The
Department reviewed the application and renewal fees established by those states
with existing Medical Marihuana programs and established fees based on the average
fees charged by other jurisdictions. Currently, the fee for a new or renewal
application is $100.00, unless a qualifying patient can demonstrate his or her current
eligibility in the Medicaid program or receipt of current SSD or SSI benefits, in
which case the application fee is $25.00. Approximately 60% of the applicants
qualify for the reduced fee.
C. First Year Anticipated Costs and Revenues
Revenue
Actual revenue from April 2009 – January 2010 $1,025.981
Estimated annual revenue – Year 1 $1,231,177
Program Costs
Estimated annual expenses $ 717,179
Estimated Balance in Fund $ 513,997
7
MCL 333.26426(h)(3). D. Second Year Anticipated Costs and Revenue
Revenue
Estimated annual revenue – Year 2 $1,100,385 to $2,024,165*
* Based on estimates of 81 applications/renewals per day to 149 applications/renewals per day.
Program Costs
Estimated annual expenses – Year 2 $1,163,687*
So were talking about around 500,000 dollar profit the first year and a 900,00ish profit the second year. So that drop in the bucket is even smaller. There is little money to be made by the state especially since its needs to be self sufficient.
Now onto Barb Argo, she broke the law period. 12 plants should be enough to keep her constantly in supply of medicine the only reason you would need more then 12 plants is to make money and the law is not setup for that. Just like jonny said she ratted herself out and then the house was unlocked causing further problems. Your so caught up on the technicality the on the federal level marijuana is illegal, why cant you see the technicality of our own states law that 12 plants is the limit. How are we EVER going to legitimize medical marijuana in Michigan if we have all of these people showing that they still cant respect the law. Do i feel bad for her? Yes Do i feel like that was unfair? Yes but it is the law and law is black and white when it comes to restrictions on amounts of marijuana. So if you dont like the law go try to change it, its simply just like people on the freeway speeding to try to show people that the speed limits need to be changed when in reality most of the time that scenario just shows a more dominant police force on the highways trying to make more money. If you want things to be different work on it at the legislative level.
On to the tax issues......
The only reason why dispensaries or huge growers get busted is 1. Dispensaries are not specified in the law making them automatically illegal with copious amounts for medicine that could violate state law. 2. Huge grow operations are obviously outside of the law as well. 3. They get busted cause they are breaking the law on a state level just like the feds said they would only go after people violating state laws.
In California there are many dispensaries that pay both state and fed taxes and the only ones getting busted in recent memory are one that have put themselves outside of the law in California. Taxes are not an automatic path to federal government domination and a shut down of medical marijuana.
If your so caught up on the federal government still continuing the classification of marijuana as a sched 1 drug then why should you even grow at all?. How is growing plants outside of the limit any different then before we had a mmmp program. If your smart you wont get caught, so if you feel like you cant be contained within the limits of 12 plants go crazy. You know some of the times when the feds raid a place i dont see it as a negative thing when they actually bust someone who is severely abusing the law and funneling money into other crimes. Take the raid in walled lake for example, the owner was way out of the legal number of plants for himself and his company. On top of that money was being funneled into the Colosseum strip club on 8 mile and he also was profiting extensively off of illegal money and any time that happens your going to draw the attention of law enforcement whether your growing pot of stealing money from a huge corporation.
The bottom line is we have a law to protect us on the state level for MEDICAL marijuana so the restrictions are there it is not meant to make people tons and tons of money. The good news is you can still make over 100,000 dollars a year within the legal limits of the law if you set up the right system. (granted you have made this your full time job and have picked up patients up until your legal limit of plants for 5 patients) Its just like running any other business in other industries that have there own set of rules and regulations.
but thats just like your opinion man...