What if you are visiting Michigan and don't know how to legally purchase cannabis?

In your own state, your medical card may be a license to get whatever cannabis and accessories that you need. But in Michigan, you might not understand the laws and regulations surrounding your out of state medical card.

Can you safely use this card, and what do you need to know before making a purchase? Keep reading to discover everything you need to know!

Out of State Medical Card and Reciprocity

When you travel with your medical card, there is a term you will quickly encounter: "reciprocity." But what does this term mean, and how does it impact you when you travel?

As a term, "reciprocity" simply refers to whether a state will honor the medical card from someone visiting outside of that state. This may affect whether or not you are able to legally purchase cannabis while you travel.

Depending on how far you travel, this can get confusing very fast. For example, some states offer full reciprocity and other states offer no reciprocity at all. And in certain cases, places like Washington, D.C., only offer reciprocity to residents of certain states.

And that all brings us to the main question: does Michigan offer the reciprocity that you need?

Michigan and Medical Card Reciprocity

When it comes to reciprocity, Michigan is an unusual case. Rather than make large decisions about this at the state level, Michigan has decided to leave things to the discretion of individual dispensaries.

Therefore, there is not a consistent answer to whether there will be reciprocity for your own medical card. Strictly speaking, every single dispensary can make their own individual decisions about whether to accept your card or not, and this may hinge on whether your home state has reciprocity with Michigan (more on this further below).

For travelers, that may sound a little annoying. But the good news is that the medical card is now something of a formality in Michigan. Because the state legalized recreational marijuana in 2018, it is possible for adults who are 21 or older to purchase and carry a maximum amount of 2.5 ounces of cannabis flower or 15 grams of concentrates.

As for medical marijuana, it can be obtained at dispensaries throughout the state. But you will have to contact the dispensary about reciprocity before buying medical cannabis.

Why Bring a Medical Card Into Michigan?

Earlier, we outlined the fact that recreational marijuana is completely legal in Michigan. With that being said, you may be wondering why it would even be worth bringing your out of state medical card with you.

The short answer to this question is "yes." Why? Simply put, bringing your card with you gives you more options when it comes to buying cannabis products.

For example, let's say that you want to buy some edibles when you are visiting Michigan. If you buy recreational edibles, the potency is limited to 10mg per serving. However, medical marijuana edibles can have a potency up to 50mg.

As we noted before, it is up to individual dispensaries to determine if they will honor your medical card. But if they choose to honor it, you will have many more options available to you.

Understand the Law

If you're reading this, chances are you are traveling to Michigan from out of state. In that case, we have some simple advice for traveling with cannabis you purchase: be very careful, and understand the relevant laws.

Despite state legalization, marijuana remains a controlled substance under federal law. And because of that, you can get in some serious trouble if you try to transport your cannabis across state lines.

This is the primary reason that you should bring your medical card with you when traveling. It will allow you to legally buy cannabis in many of the states you visit without breaking the law.

Getting What You Need

Do you need another reason to bring your medical card to Michigan instead of just buying recreational products? In some cases, you may have an easier time getting the exact products and services that you need.

After all, having a medical card means having a doctor who understands your health conditions and understands how marijuana can either help those conditions or make them worse. And bringing your out of state card enables you to get this kind of service when you're on the road.

Bringing your medical card to Michigan means you can continue to buy and use the cannabis products that have been helping your health condition. And as we mentioned before, presenting that card to a friendly dispensary will help you get the products and the potency that you need to continue enjoying your current quality of life.  

Other States With Reciprocity

We have reviewed Michigan's current laws regarding reciprocity. But while you travel, it is important for you to understand how other states treat reciprocity.

The following other states and territories offer straightforward reciprocity:

• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Nevada
• Puerto Rico
• Rhode Island
• Washington D.C

And these states offer reciprocity after you complete a visiting patient application:

• Arkansas 
• Hawaii 
• Oklahoma 

Finally, the following states do not offer reciprocity for out of state medical cards. However, they do allow you to purchase recreational marijuana in limited amounts.

• Alaska 
• California 
• Colorado 
• Oregon 
• Washington 

What's Next?

Now you know how your out of state medical card will work in Michigan. But do you know which dispensary can help you find everything you need when you visit?

Our dispensary offers pickup and delivery services, a friendly staff, and an extensive collection of products. To see what we can do to make your visit better, contact us today!