Registry Identification Cards

"Registry identification card" means a document issued by the Michigan Department of Community Health, that identifies a person as a registered qualifying patient or registered primary caregiver.

To apply for a state-issued Medical Marijuana Program I.D. card, you must first obtain "Written certification", meaning a document signed by a physician, stating the patient's debilitating medical condition and stating that, in the physician's professional opinion, the patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the medical use of marijuana to treat or alleviate the patient's debilitating medical condition or symptoms associated with the debilitating medical condition.

Shall issue a Registry ID Card — The department shall issue registry identification cards to qualifying patients within five days of approval who submit the following:
a written certification;
application or renewal fee;
name, address, and date of birth of the qualifying patient, (homeless need no address);
name, address, and telephone number of the qualifying patient's physician;
name, address, and date of birth of the qualifying patient's primary caregiver, if any; and
a designation as to whether the qualifying patient or primary caregiver will be allowed under state law to possess marijuana plants for the qualifying patient's medical use.
Registry cards will be issued within 5 days of the application's approval.

Shall issue a registry identification card to the primary caregiver, if any, who is named in a qualifying patient's approved application [Section 6], provided the primary caregiver is over 21 years of age and has not been convicted of a drug related felony.

Each qualifying patient can have no more than one primary caregiver, and a primary caregiver may assist no more than five qualifying patients with their medical use of marijuana. A primary caregiver who is also a patient may assist 5 patients in addition to himself.

The department must approve or deny an application or renewal within 15 days of receiving it [Section 6]. The department may deny an application or renewal only if the applicant did not provide the information required, or if the department determines that the information provided was falsified.

Registry Identification Cards: Cards expire one year after the date of issuance and contain all the following information:
name, address, and date of birth of the qualifying patient;
name, address, and date of birth of the primary caregiver, if any, of the qualifying patient;
date of issuance and expiration date of the registry identification card;
a random identification number;
A photograph, if the department requires one by rule; and
a clear designation showing whether the primary caregiver or the qualifying patient will be allowed under state law to possess the marijuana plants (determined based solely on the qualifying patient's preference).

The department shall verify the information contained in an application or renewal, and shall approve or deny an application or renewal within 15 days of receiving it. Rejection of an application or renewal is considered a final department action, subject to judicial review. Jurisdiction and venue for judicial review are vested in the circuit court for the county of Ingham.
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Card Deemed Granted — If the department fails to issue a valid registry identification card in response to a valid application or renewal submitted pursuant to this act within 20 days of its submission, the registry identification card shall be deemed granted, and a copy of the registry identification application or renewal shall be deemed a valid registry identification card.

Affidavit in lieu of Registry ID Card — If at any time after the 140 days following the effective date of this act the department is not accepting applications, including if it has not created rules allowing qualifying patients to submit applications, a notarized statement by a qualifying patient containing the information required in an application, pursuant to section 6(a)(3)-(6) together with a written certification, shall be deemed a valid registry identification card.

Summary

After April 4, 2009, when the Michigan Department of Community Health begins accepting applications for it's Medical Marijuana Program, the department will have 15 days from the date they receive your application to either accept or deny it. They can only deny you for providing incomplete application information, missing or incomplete supporting documents, or if the department determines the information you provided has been falsified. The department does not have the authority to review your application and deny you based on their opinion regarding your medical condition. The department then has 5 additional days from the approval date to issue a card. If you have not received your card within 20 days from the date of application, your card is deemed granted under the Statute.

If you appoint a primary caregiver to cultivate or acquire marijuana for you, that person must be over 21 and can not have a felony drug conviction.

A valid Registry I.D. card will allow a patient to engage in "Medical use", meaning the acquisition, possession, cultivation, manufacture, use, internal possession, delivery, transfer, or transportation of marijuana or paraphernalia relating to the administration of marijuana to treat or alleviate a registered qualifying patient's debilitating medical condition or symptoms associated with the debilitating medical condition. Patients may posess 12 plants and up to 2.5 ounces of "Usable marijuana", meaning the dried leaves and flowers of the marijuana plant, and any mixture or preparation thereof, but does not include the seeds, stalks, and roots of the plant.