To keep shelves stocked at licensed medical marijuana shops, state officials are promising they won’t slap fines on businesses for buying marijuana from caregivers.

The state’s Medical Marihuana Licensing Board agreed to the new terms at its Friday, Dec. 7, meeting. Previously, licensed retail stores could be fined or lose their license for such activities.

“It doesn’t fix everything I would like to see fixed but it goes in the direction of providing product to patients who need it,” said the board’s chairman, Rick Johnson.

Board member Don Bailey was opposed to the resolution.

“I believe people are still incarcerated for doing what we’re proposing right here,” Bailey said

Marijuana grown by caregivers has already been fueling the medical marijuana industry in Michigan, as more than 100 dispensaries have been operating unlicensed in the state selling caregiver product.

A court case established that caregivers in Michigan could only sell marijuana to five registered patients with whom they have a relationship. There is no provision in state law that allows caregivers to sell to businesses.

During the past year, state regulators have agreed to not go after unlicensed dispensaries who sell marijuana grown by caregivers. But as state regulators try to push dispensaries to comply with the law and become licensed, the slow pace has meant there’s not enough marijuana grown at licensed facilities to go around.

“I have had many cases over the last eight years that alleged felony marijuana crimes for behavior that LARA just codified as a part of their system,” said Michael Komorn, a criminal defense attorney and president of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association. “The takeaway it would suggest is that it has been realized now by the state that they need caregivers for the state’s medical marijuana program to work. They may not want to admit it, but this last play by LARA seals it.”

Friday, the board approved 24 medical marijuana business license applications. There are now 26 large-scale grow operations and 45 retail provisioning centers licensed to operate in Michigan.

Notably, Friday the board denied preliminary approval of four license applications from former Detroit Lions Calvin Johnson and Rob Sims over Johnson’s traffic tickets in Atlanta. The board claims they were issues since they were not addressed quickly. Court records show the issues have been resolved.

-- Amy Biolchini is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact her with questions, tips or comments at abiolch1@mlive.com. Read more from MLive about medical marijuana.