Bills Would Prevent Michigan Pot Patients From Making Wax, Resin

A package of bills designed to tighten what kinds of medical marijuana byproducts are allowed to be produced have now been introduced in Michigan’s House.

Last week, Republican Representatives Steve Marino, Triston Cole and Joseph Bellino introduced House Bills 5843, 5844, and 5845, which would criminalize the production of "resin from marihuana by chemical extraction", if the person does not have a medical marijuana processor’s license.

Anyone who breaks this law would be subject to a five-year felony charge, and if someone is seriously injured or killed in the process the violator could face up to 10 or 20 years in prison. Those who lie to police about weed extraction could also face a $500 fine.

According to Wired, through the use of flammable chemicals including butane, the active ingredients of marijuana like THC and CBD are extracted and turned into a concentrated, sticky, earwax-like substance. The extraction process can potentially result in explosions and fire if done unsafely.

These laws would prevent medical marijuana patients from producing concentrated forms of marijuana for themselves, with pot they have legally purchased.

Curiously, one of the bills in this package also contains a slight change to the language used in the criminal code, surrounding the use of abortion to obtain an embryo or fetus; However, the change does appear to be simply clerical.

The three bills have been referred to Michigan House of Representatives committee on Law and Justice.