Cannabis
in Michigan

Under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, adults 21 and older may carry up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis, of which no more than 15 grams may be concentrate. At home, an adult may keep up to 10 ounces, but anything over 2.5 ounces must be locked in a container. Adults may also give up to 2.5 ounces to another adult, as long as nothing is received in return and the gift is not promoted publicly. Registered patients under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act may possess 2.5 ounces of usable cannabis. Going over the adult limit is penalized in steps. Having more than 2.5 but less than 5 ounces is a civil infraction with a fine of up to $500, and possession above 5 ounces can be charged as a misdemeanour.

Michigan law bars anyone under 21 from possessing, consuming, buying, growing, processing, transporting or selling cannabis, and no one may transfer cannabis to a person under 21. The one exception is the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. Adults 18 and older can register as patients on their own, and a registered patient under 21 may lawfully possess and use cannabis within the programme's rules. Patients under 18 need a parent's consent and a designated caregiver. Outside the programme, underage possession is handled mostly through civil infractions rather than crimes. People aged 18 to 20 face a $100 fine for a first offence and $500 for a second. Minors under 18 also face drug education requirements. A third offence can be charged as a misdemeanour.

Adults 21 and older in Michigan may grow up to 12 cannabis plants per household for personal use. The cap applies to the household, not each adult, so it stays at 12 however many adults live there. Plants must be kept in an enclosed, locked area and must not be visible from any public place without binoculars or other optical aids. Growing plants in view is a civil infraction. Property owners, including landlords, may restrict or prohibit cultivation on their premises. The medical programme has its own separate allowance: a registered patient may grow up to 12 plants, and a registered caregiver may grow up to 12 per patient for as many as five patients. Butane and similar extraction methods are banned in homes. Growing more than 25 plants without a licence is a felony.

The Cannabis Regulatory Agency, formerly called the Marijuana Regulatory Agency, oversees both of Michigan's cannabis markets. It administers the adult-use system created by the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, Initiated Law 1 of 2018, and the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program established under the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008. The Agency licenses growers, processors, retailers, provisioning centres, delivery services and designated consumption establishments, and it registers patients and caregivers. Medical and adult-use businesses hold separate licences. Local government has a significant role of its own. Cities, villages and townships may opt out of hosting cannabis businesses entirely, and many have done so. They may also limit or regulate the businesses they do allow.

Adult-use cannabis in Michigan carries a 10 percent retail excise tax under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, plus the state's standard 6 percent sales tax. From January 1, 2026, a separate 24 percent wholesale tax also applies at the distribution level under HB 4951, and it is likely to show up in shelf prices. Medical cannabis sold to registered patients through provisioning centres is exempt from the excise taxes and pays only the 6 percent sales tax. Older sources mention a 3 or 4 percent medical tax dating from 2016. The official sources in this brief do not set out the rates, so these figures come from secondary sources.

Using cannabis in public is prohibited in Michigan, but the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act lets a municipality authorize places where adults may consume it, as long as people under 21 cannot get in. The Cannabis Regulatory Agency offers a designated consumption establishment licence for this, and temporary event licences allow consumption at approved events. Whether any of these exist in a given place depends on local approval. Everywhere else, use is limited to private property whose owner allows it. Consumption is banned in public places, in a vehicle on a public road whether driving or riding, on school grounds and buses, in correctional facilities, and in state parks. Employers and landlords may prohibit use on their premises.

The Cannabis Regulatory Agency runs the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. The process starts with an evaluation by a physician actively licensed in Michigan. The physician completes a Physician Certification Form confirming the patient's medical need, and the evaluation must have taken place within the six months before registration. Patients who are not designating a caregiver can apply online through a secure account. Patients who are naming a caregiver must file a paper application packet. The state fee is $40. Secondary sources say processing takes up to about 20 business days, that approved patients receive an approval email they can use temporarily, and that the plastic card follows by mail. Cards are generally described as valid for two years.

The Cannabis Regulatory Agency recognises a defined list of debilitating conditions. It includes Alzheimer's disease agitation, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cachexia or wasting syndrome, Crohn's disease, hepatitis C, HIV-positive status, inflammatory bowel disease, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, seizures including epilepsy, severe and chronic pain, severe and persistent muscle spasms including those from multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury. Secondary sources add conditions such as cerebral palsy, nail-patella syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Tourette's syndrome and ulcerative colitis. Michigan's Medical Marihuana Review Panel considers petitions to add conditions. It added cerebral palsy in 2019 and rejected anxiety in 2018. A physician may certify a patient only for a condition on the approved list.

To register with the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program, an applicant must be at least 18 and prove Michigan residency with a driver's licence, a state personal ID or a voter registration. They need a Physician Certification Form from a physician actively licensed in Michigan, based on an evaluation within the last six months. They must also submit a completed Application Packet and the $40 fee, which the Cannabis Regulatory Agency says is paid by check or money order. Secondary sources mention a reduced fee for Medicaid and SSI recipients. An applicant designating a caregiver must include the caregiver's details and identity documents and file on paper rather than online. Caregivers must be 21 or older and free of disqualifying felony convictions. Minors apply with parental consent and a caregiver.

The official Cannabis Regulatory Agency pages in this brief do not set out a separate renewal procedure. Secondary sources describe renewal as a repeat of the original application. The patient gets a fresh evaluation and Physician Certification Form from a Michigan-licensed physician, dated within six months of filing, and submits it with the $40 fee through the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program. Most sources say registry cards last two years, though one older source says one year. Patients should go by the expiration date on their own card and apply early enough to allow for processing, which can take several weeks. Adults 21 and older whose card lapses can still buy from adult-use retailers. They lose the medical tax treatment and, if they are under 21, all lawful access until the card is renewed.

The Cannabis Regulatory Agency requires a medical evaluation by a physician actively licensed in Michigan within six months of registration, and the official pages in this brief do not say that the evaluation must be in person. Secondary sources say certifying evaluations can take place in person or by telemedicine, and several Michigan practices offer remote visits. One clinical source describes what a proper evaluation involves: a physician-patient encounter, a medical history, a review of prior records, a discussion of treatment options and a care plan, with follow-up visits expected. A telehealth visit should meet the same standard. Only MDs and DOs can certify, so patients using a remote service should confirm the clinician is a Michigan-licensed physician rather than another kind of provider.

The official sources in this brief do not describe how Michigan treats medical cards from other states. Secondary sources say some provisioning centres will serve patients registered elsewhere, but that practice varies by business and the brief does not establish a statewide rule. Visitors have a simpler route. Any adult 21 or older with valid ID can buy from an adult-use retailer, within the 2.5-ounce limit, no card required. Michigan's own medical programme requires proof of Michigan residency, so non-residents cannot register as patients. Whatever the source, cannabis bought in Michigan may not be taken across state lines. It is prohibited at airports because it remains a Schedule I substance under federal law.