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And what 'big step' would that be? :thinker:

Michigan's recreational marijuana market takes a big step this week



(file photo)
CREDIT STEVE CARMODY / MICHIGAN RADIO

The state of Michigan will start accepting applications from businesses seeking recreational marijuana licenses Friday, November 1st.

But retail sales may still be a long way off.

Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana in 2018. But the need for state regulations has delayed retail sales.

Robin Schneider is the executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. She is not expecting many applications to be submitted on Friday.

“I just don’t believe that we’re going to see a Green Rush of businesses running out to get those rec licenses on the first day because of the lack of supply,” says Schneider.

Schneider says Michigan’s medical marijuana industry is already dealing with ashortage of marijuana flower. It's a shortage that will likely be exacerbated when recreational marijuana hits the retail market.

State regulators have said they will grant the first recreational licenses in the coming weeks. But growing and testing of marijuana plants grown specifically for the recreational market will take time.

Schneider says recreational retailers may have to wait until March or April for supplies to become available.
 
Council mulling marijuana options Monday

The Ludington City Council on Monday is expected to vote on declaring its intent regarding whether or not to allow marijuana businesses to be licensed in the city or to continue its existing prohibition.

Specifically, the city council will decide between adopting either of two different formal resolutions.

If approved, one resolution would declare the council’s intent to develop regulations for licensing recreational marijuana businesses to operate within the Ludington city limits.

Conversely, if the council approves the other resolution instead, it would declare the council’s intent to continue Ludington’s current ban on recreational marijuana businesses within the city’s jurisdiction.

The council on Dec. 17, 2018, decided to opt-out of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act and prohibited all recreational marijuana businesses within the city limits. But the ban is temporary and includes a sunset clause that the council must vote again on whether or not to allow the businesses within 60 days of the State of Michigan finalizing its marijuana licensing regulations.

If the council chooses the resolution to opt-in to allowing marijuana businesses pursuant to the Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, the council would be expected to draft and adopt one or more city ordinances to license the marijuana establishments and “to begin that process promptly,” according to the proposed resolution.

The council could decide to allow and regulate the location of any of the following marijuana establishments: retailers, microbusinesses, growers, processors, secure transporters and safety compliance facilities, such as lab testing sites.

The Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act, which legalized use of marijuana for adults age 21 or older, was passed 1,944-1,623 by voters in Ludington during the November 2018 general election.
 
Marijuana businesses contribute to Kalamazoo area political campaigns

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Marijuana businesses are donating thousands of dollars into the City of Kalamazoo's mayoral race as the stakes heat up across Michigan.

On Nov. 1, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs will begin accepting applications for recreational pot facilities and municipalities have been deciding where they want the businesses to set up shop.

Donors have contributed more than $57,000 to support candidates in the Kalamazoo mayoral race, including around $3,500 in contributions from marijuana related businesses.

David Anderson, David Benac, Esteven Juarez and Corey Smith are the four candidates running to succeed Mayor Bobby Hopewell, who is not seeking reelection.

Benac reported $17,760 in contributions from 188 donations. Anderson reported raising $39,242 through 168 campaign contributions.

Kalamazoo County campaign finance records recently filed show Benac received $3,285 in contributions from marijuana-related businesses.

Heidi Yahr, from a marijuana company named Exclusive Brands LLC in Ann Arbor, donated $1,000 to Benac’s campaign.

"I think the cannabis industry is looking for people are supportive for what they're trying to accomplish," said Benac.

On Oct. 7, Kalamazoo City Commission voted unanimously to postpone the decision to opt-in to allowing adult-use recreational marijuana businesses to operate within the city.

Commissioners said the delay would be until June 1, 2020, to allow more time to review zoning and licensing rules.

Benac said he disagrees with the decision to delay the option to allow recreational marijuana businesses in town.

"We are doing people in Kalamazoo a disservice in terms of this being an employment opportunity," said Benac.

Anderson, Benac's opponent, supports legal marijuana, but wants the city to get more clarity on the rules.

"He's definitely suggested a candidate who's more supportive. I don't think that's true. What I am supportive of is doing it smart," said Anderson. "It really puts the cities and localities in uncertain positions. What are the state rules going to look like? We want to do this right."

Records show Anderson received $250 from one marijuana related donation: Adam Tucker, manager of the Cannamazoo, in Kalamazoo Township.

Kalamazoo Township held a special Board of Trustees and Planning Commission meeting on Oct. 30 to decide whether the township will opt-in on recreational marijuana.
John Taylor, a former Kalamazoo County Commissioner, operates a medical marijuana facility in Kalamazoo Township.

Taylor said he thinks marijuana businesses will even spend more in local races in the future.

"In a lot of these local townships, you're going to see races that traditionally have $200-$500 spent on candidate's race, having $15,000, $20,000 races in these townships," Taylor said.

Records show Taylor donated $250 to Anderson's campaign. Taylor said he donated because the two are friends.

Michigan voters approved a state law in November 2018 to legalize marijuana use for people 21 and older, though no businesses have been licensed to sell recreational marijuana yet.
 
Detroit-based business to launch cell phone app for cannabis users, businesses

Cell phone app Weedi. - DENOVO STUDIOS


With dozens of marijuana dispensaries in Michigan and more than 2,000 cannabis strains, buying pot can be an overwhelming experience.

Enter Weedi, a sleek, new cell phone app designed to help consumers locate dispensaries and browse menus and strains.

Denovo Studios, a Detroit-based mobile development company, plans to launch the app for iOS and Android on Dec. 6 — just in time for the legalization of recreational marijuana sales.

The all-in-one platform is a comprehensive resource for cannabis users and businesses. You can search for dispensaries and browse menus for flower strains, edibles, concentrates, and vape cartridges.

One of the most useful features is a customizable strain library with nearly 2,500 strains. The app helps you find the perfect strain for your desired mood or medical issue. Users also can document their experience with each strain.

“We want to make it easier for cannabis users to not only learn about different strains, but also be able to capture their experience within the app,” Andy Saldana, founder and CEO of Denovo Studios, tells Metro Times. “With so many different types of strains out there and new strains being introduced daily, it can be difficult for users to keep track of what strains they have tried and how it personally affected them. With the capability to personalize the app based on their experience, we hope to make the user’s cannabis journey easier and less intimidating.”

The app also is useful for cannabis businesses. The app allows businesses to create content, such as rewards, specials, and new strains and products, and share the information on social media.

“By allowing dispensaries to create their own content within the app, it opens up the opportunity for them to take control of their business and present customers with relevant information, Saldana says. “Provisioning centers will provide the growing cannabis-using community the information they need and allow customers to feel confident when they visit their dispensaries.”

Denovo Studios has been building mobile apps for more than five years. Its previously launched Cannabis Strain Guide has ranked in the top 25 medical apps in the iOS App Store.
 
Medical Marijuana Registry Card Application Fee Reduced, Other Fees Eliminated

The Marijuana Regulatory Agency announced Wednesday that new administrative rules for the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA) are now in effect. The new rules lowered the registry card application fee by 33 percent while eliminating fees associated with processing updates or replacing marijuana registry cards.

“Our team has worked hard over the last year to streamline the process for Michigan’s medical marijuana cardholders,” said MRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo. “Not only have we lowered the costs, but we’ve made it significantly easier for patients to apply for – and receive – their registry cards.”

The MMMA was passed by Michigan voters in 2008 and authorizes the medical use of marijuana for qualifying patients and provides for the issuance of registry identification cards to qualifying patients and their caregivers, if applicable.

Highlights of the new changes are as follows:

  • The patient application fee (for a two-year card) has been reduced from $60.00 to $40.00.
  • The $25.00 caregiver criminal background check processing fee has been eliminated.
  • The $10.00 fee has been eliminated for the following services:
    • Update the name or address on a registry card
    • Add or remove a caregiver
    • Request a replacement card
  • The renewal period for patients has increased from 60 to 90 days.
  • A provision is now in effect that authorizes patients to change the person designated to be in possession of the plants.
  • Email is now included as a method by which the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) may contact a patient, caregiver, or physician.
The new rule changes come shortly after the MRA expanded the MMMP online processes to allow marijuana patients in Michigan who apply for their marijuana registry card online to use their approval email as a temporary substitute for a valid registry card in order to obtain their medication the same day they are approved.

The email that patients receive after an approved online application serves as a temporary substitute for a valid registry card. This approval email is valid until patients receive their card in the mail or for up to 15 days from the date of the approval email.

As a result, patients do not have to wait to receive their registry cards in the mail and will be able to purchase or obtain medication the same day they are approved. A valid driver’s license or government-issued identification card with a photographic image is also required to purchase marijuana.

To utilize this online service please visit www.michigan.gov/mmp and note the following:

  • A patient’s certifying physician must have an online account with the MMMP
  • A patient must register for an online account
  • The patient must submit an online application
 
Wayne County to vote on marijuana

A year after state voters approved Proposal 1 to legalize marijuana, residents in Allen Park and Lincoln Park will head back to the ballot box Tuesday to determine whether businesses will be allowed to sell the drug in their communities.

The proposals are among the issues to be decided and offices to be filled across Wayne County.

B99770323Z.1_20190420104325_000_GAO2F51E9.2-0.jpg


FILE - This March 22, 2019 file photo shows a bud on a marijuana plant at Compassionate Care Foundation's medical marijuana dispensary in Egg Harbor Township, N.J. U.S. retail sales of cannabis products jumped to $10.5 billion last year, a threefold increase from 2017, according to data from Arcview Group, a cannabis investment and market research firm. The figures do not include retail sales of hemp-derived CBD products. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) (Photo: Julio Cortez / AP)

In Allen Park, the proposal would allow for up to three stand-alone retail stores and three "microbusinesses" that would be licensed to grow up to 150 marijuana plants, process and sell or transfer them. It requires businesses to be regulated and hold state licenses and require customers to be at least 21 years old to enter.

Nearly 57% of Allen Park voters supported the statewide legalization proposal on the Nov. 6, 2018, ballot but city council subsequently opted out of allowing recreational use or sales by medical facilities.

Chad Morrow, a candidate for city council, petitioned to put the issue before Allen Park voters, saying it could aid "those who need it the most."

Morrow called the Allen Park initiative a "sensible" proposal that would generate tax revenue for the city without creating the "odor of skunk" that some critics associate with marijuana facilities.

"We did a town hall last week and there was a lady there with MS who said she spends a lot of (money) in River Rouge dispensaries because we don't have medical dispensaries," he said.

Opting back into the law would provide local governments with additional tax revenue to address other needs, said Morrow, who previously operated a medical marijuana shop in Gaylord that was raided by police in 2016. He ended up pleading guilty to two marijuana delivery charges and spent 15 days behind bars.

"Honestly, it will give people a chance not only to support the legalization but access, stores and taxation," he said. "It's not just about having stores in Allen Park but create opportunities for jobs, revitalize buildings and repurpose blighted ones and to bring in a lot of revenue."

In other communities, the potential for an increased cost for public safety and caution in seeing how the marijuana industry develops has spurred decisions to stay out of the marijuana business.

In Lincoln Park, the proposal states it would allow the distribution of marijuana, allowing two licensed retail facilities and one licensed business for each of these categories: transporters, safety compliance, cultivation and processing. The facilities would be open no earlier than 9 a.m. and no later than 10 p.m.

Lincoln Park Councilman Michael Higgins said he has advocated for the approval of retail marijuana after last year's vote showed 64% of city residents were for it.

"People are going to be smoking more now than ever before," he said. "If it isn't to pass, the cost of our police are going to go up for having to handle the situation. We can charge up to $500 per license and use that money towards the police department whereas if you don't people are still going to be using it."

Higgins said last year, Lincoln Park Mayor Thomas Karnes decided to put together a seven-person commission, including two council members (one against retailing marijuana and one for it) to debate the issue.

"When it was all said and done, the committee was 100% for the retail of it within the city," Higgins said. "I think it should be open and regulated like a bar or party store, so many feet from a church or school."
 
Sigh... I wish they would stop calling cannabis a 'drug.' :shakehead:

There's a news clip that couldn't be embedded. Follow the title link to view.

Law enforcement facing the challenges of new legal marijuana laws

As the state begins accepting applications for recreational marijuana business licenses Friday, local police departments already are tackling issues ranging from complaints about marijuana's pungent aroma to preparing for an expected increase in high driving.

Police departments across the state have been dealing with issues surrounding marijuana enforcement for years, both in the black market and since Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008. But the new recreational landscape, with the impending widespread availability of pot, has departments evaluating what enforcement looks like going forward.

Some police departments are taking a hands-off approach until they get more guidance from the Legislature. Others expect the courts will get involved as enforcement issues crop up.

“We’ve issued training bulletins and policy updates and ensured officers are aware of applicable changes in recreational marijuana laws,” Wayne County Undersheriff Daniel Pfannes said. “And while we would still take any encounter with an individual who is impaired through the use of marijuana seriously, we clearly recognize the restrictions put on law enforcement by the passage of recreational marijuana.”


“The people voted for it and they’re going to get what they wanted,” he added.

Michigan State Police officers are taking the impending change in stride.

“The fallacy that there’s going to be all this marijuana out there is just that, a fallacy,” said Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police. “It’s already always been out there, so this isn’t a big deal to us.”


The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency will begin to accept applications Friday from businesses that want to get into the recreational market. While voters approved legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use last November, pot won’t be available for sale until sometime early next year. But under the law, you can grow it in your home.

Looking for more high drivers
Police departments, which have long been training to recognize the signs of high drivers, are preparing for more marijuana users on the road.

There are a couple of dozen "drug recognition experts" in metro Detroit police departments who can be called on when a suspected drugged driver is stopped. These officers have received advanced training to recognize the signs of a driver under the influence of cannabis.

Macomb County Sheriff's Sgt. Renee Yax said the department has one drug recognition expert with a second in training.

Tools available to police officers now, such as field sobriety tests — think reciting the alphabet, walking a straight line or looking for other telltale signs such as bloodshot eyes, slurred speech or difficulty coming up with a driver’s license — will be key in marijuana impairment cases also, law enforcement officials said.

Those are the first indicators of a high driver and those tests will be buttressed by drug recognition experts who can be called in to administer oral cheek swabs that can detect the presence of THC — or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in cannabis that produces a high in a driver's system.

But that doesn't always translate into impairment because THC stays in a person's body longer than alcohol. So while an oral swab can help determine whether a driver is high, it is not admissible in court yet and many departments still use a more costly and time-consuming blood draw to test for THC — a test that is more accurate.

Yax said deputies treat a driver operating under the influence of drugs similar to a driver who is under the influence of alcohol.

"The deputy is observing the vehicle to see how it's operating (speeds, swerving, etc.) The vehicle is stopped and the deputy is looking for signs of intoxication and possibly the smell of marijuana," Yax said in an email. "The driver will be given field sobriety tasks and the DRE (drug recognition expert) may be requested. A blood draw may be sought."

Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus said "it's a lot easier for a police officer to feel confident to arrest someone for drunk driving,” noting that breathalyzer tests are quick and easy.

“It takes a lot more confidence to arrest someone for drugged driving if you just have erratic driving to go on," he said. "If a test comes back and it shows that there are no drugs in their system, that’s not what an officer wants on their report.”

The state is in the process of expanding its initial five-county pilot oral swab program to 55 police departments across the state to buttress other sobriety testing. There were 236 drug-related traffic fatalities in 2016, with the number rising to 247 in 2018, said MSP.

"We are monitoring Michigan State Police's cheek swab program and its effectiveness," said Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. "Implementing something similar to what they're doing or the same program they're doing might happen. It makes sense to me. We just gotta know more about it.”

In Colorado, where adult recreational use began in 2014, marijuana-related fatalities increased from 94 in 2014 to 162 in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Lots of complaints about that smell
But driving high isn’t the only issue for police departments.

In Farmington Hills, police are getting numerous complaints of marijuana odors, especially in apartment and condo complexes where close quarters exacerbate the distinctive aroma.

But there is little the department can do, Nebus said.

With marijuana use and possession now legal and people allowed to grow up to 12 plants in their homes for personal use, the pungent smell of weed alone is not enough for police to investigate.

“If it’s just the smell and odor we’re hearing about, that’s not enough probable cause for us to go much further,” he said. “Before recreational became legal, we might have been doing search warrants, but everything seems to be gray and cloudy until the courts rule on the new laws.

“When people call about the odor and it bothers them to the point that they can’t sleep, there doesn’t really seem to be solutions for that.”

Landlords can prohibit their tenants from growing pot or any type of smoking in their rental units. But they can’t ban other legal forms of marijuana use, such as pot-infused edibles.

Dwyer said the city sometimes gets information that a resident is growing more than the allowed number of plants in their homes and the department's special investigation unit will check it out, but "unless we receive a complaint or something, we can't go out and knock on every door and check.”

Sterling Heights Police Lt. Mario Bastianelli said the department is investigating dozens of marijuana complaints in the city, ranging from smells that seep beyond a home's property line to excessive noise to excessive lights and suspicious vehicle traffic.

"If a home owner is determined to grow marijuana illegally, they will be cited and the grow operation will be shut down," he wrote in an email to the Free Press.

In Clinton Township, Police Chief Fred Posavetz said the department hasn't done any extra training for the upcoming commercial market. Officers already have been trained to request a blood test if they stop a suspected high driver.

But his officers won't be checking to see whether people are growing more than the permitted number of plants at their homes or looking for people who are smoking pot in public, which is illegal under the new law.

If they get caught red-handed, however, the smoker will be issued an ordinance violation ticket, Posavetz added.

But most departments aren’t actively patrolling for pot smokers in public.

“It’s not anything we’re looking for. We all smell marijuana more than we used to,” said MSP’s Shaw. “But you can’t smoke in public. We do have statewide jurisdiction and if we see something, it would be up to the trooper to decide on what to do with that.”

Police want more guidance from state
Many departments are frustrated by the lack of guidance in the ballot proposal that legalized recreational marijuana last year.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said until the Legislature passes some clarifying legislation on what police departments can and can’t do, the department has taken a hands-off approach.

“We haven’t investigated a marijuana case in more than a year,” he said. “We’re in absolute limbo in terms of law enforcement. Even in California, the governor recently called for a serious crackdown on trafficking and growing marijuana outside the legal system.”

K-9 squads still on the job
One area of law enforcement that will not be affected by the new recreational marijuana market are the drug-sniffing dogs employed by police departments.

The dogs are trained to alert on a wide variety of illegal substances, from heroin and cocaine to marijuana. They will still be used in that capacity, but Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said new dogs probably won’t be trained in detecting marijuana.

“We don’t think there is a need to decertify a dog because one of the drugs they’ve been trained to detect is no longer illegal,” Wayne County’s Pfannes said.

Warren’s Dwyer said at this point the department is not going to replace or retrain its dogs.

"It's too early, and we're not gonna jump the gun," he said. "They're still able to detect .other drugs."
 
Sigh... I wish they would stop calling cannabis a 'drug.' :shakehead:

There's a news clip that couldn't be embedded. Follow the title link to view.

Law enforcement facing the challenges of new legal marijuana laws

As the state begins accepting applications for recreational marijuana business licenses Friday, local police departments already are tackling issues ranging from complaints about marijuana's pungent aroma to preparing for an expected increase in high driving.

Police departments across the state have been dealing with issues surrounding marijuana enforcement for years, both in the black market and since Michigan legalized medical marijuana in 2008. But the new recreational landscape, with the impending widespread availability of pot, has departments evaluating what enforcement looks like going forward.

Some police departments are taking a hands-off approach until they get more guidance from the Legislature. Others expect the courts will get involved as enforcement issues crop up.

“We’ve issued training bulletins and policy updates and ensured officers are aware of applicable changes in recreational marijuana laws,” Wayne County Undersheriff Daniel Pfannes said. “And while we would still take any encounter with an individual who is impaired through the use of marijuana seriously, we clearly recognize the restrictions put on law enforcement by the passage of recreational marijuana.”


“The people voted for it and they’re going to get what they wanted,” he added.

Michigan State Police officers are taking the impending change in stride.

“The fallacy that there’s going to be all this marijuana out there is just that, a fallacy,” said Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police. “It’s already always been out there, so this isn’t a big deal to us.”


The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency will begin to accept applications Friday from businesses that want to get into the recreational market. While voters approved legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use last November, pot won’t be available for sale until sometime early next year. But under the law, you can grow it in your home.

Looking for more high drivers
Police departments, which have long been training to recognize the signs of high drivers, are preparing for more marijuana users on the road.

There are a couple of dozen "drug recognition experts" in metro Detroit police departments who can be called on when a suspected drugged driver is stopped. These officers have received advanced training to recognize the signs of a driver under the influence of cannabis.

Macomb County Sheriff's Sgt. Renee Yax said the department has one drug recognition expert with a second in training.

Tools available to police officers now, such as field sobriety tests — think reciting the alphabet, walking a straight line or looking for other telltale signs such as bloodshot eyes, slurred speech or difficulty coming up with a driver’s license — will be key in marijuana impairment cases also, law enforcement officials said.

Those are the first indicators of a high driver and those tests will be buttressed by drug recognition experts who can be called in to administer oral cheek swabs that can detect the presence of THC — or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive element in cannabis that produces a high in a driver's system.

But that doesn't always translate into impairment because THC stays in a person's body longer than alcohol. So while an oral swab can help determine whether a driver is high, it is not admissible in court yet and many departments still use a more costly and time-consuming blood draw to test for THC — a test that is more accurate.

Yax said deputies treat a driver operating under the influence of drugs similar to a driver who is under the influence of alcohol.

"The deputy is observing the vehicle to see how it's operating (speeds, swerving, etc.) The vehicle is stopped and the deputy is looking for signs of intoxication and possibly the smell of marijuana," Yax said in an email. "The driver will be given field sobriety tasks and the DRE (drug recognition expert) may be requested. A blood draw may be sought."

Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus said "it's a lot easier for a police officer to feel confident to arrest someone for drunk driving,” noting that breathalyzer tests are quick and easy.

“It takes a lot more confidence to arrest someone for drugged driving if you just have erratic driving to go on," he said. "If a test comes back and it shows that there are no drugs in their system, that’s not what an officer wants on their report.”

The state is in the process of expanding its initial five-county pilot oral swab program to 55 police departments across the state to buttress other sobriety testing. There were 236 drug-related traffic fatalities in 2016, with the number rising to 247 in 2018, said MSP.

"We are monitoring Michigan State Police's cheek swab program and its effectiveness," said Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer. "Implementing something similar to what they're doing or the same program they're doing might happen. It makes sense to me. We just gotta know more about it.”

In Colorado, where adult recreational use began in 2014, marijuana-related fatalities increased from 94 in 2014 to 162 in 2017, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Lots of complaints about that smell
But driving high isn’t the only issue for police departments.

In Farmington Hills, police are getting numerous complaints of marijuana odors, especially in apartment and condo complexes where close quarters exacerbate the distinctive aroma.

But there is little the department can do, Nebus said.

With marijuana use and possession now legal and people allowed to grow up to 12 plants in their homes for personal use, the pungent smell of weed alone is not enough for police to investigate.

“If it’s just the smell and odor we’re hearing about, that’s not enough probable cause for us to go much further,” he said. “Before recreational became legal, we might have been doing search warrants, but everything seems to be gray and cloudy until the courts rule on the new laws.

“When people call about the odor and it bothers them to the point that they can’t sleep, there doesn’t really seem to be solutions for that.”

Landlords can prohibit their tenants from growing pot or any type of smoking in their rental units. But they can’t ban other legal forms of marijuana use, such as pot-infused edibles.

Dwyer said the city sometimes gets information that a resident is growing more than the allowed number of plants in their homes and the department's special investigation unit will check it out, but "unless we receive a complaint or something, we can't go out and knock on every door and check.”

Sterling Heights Police Lt. Mario Bastianelli said the department is investigating dozens of marijuana complaints in the city, ranging from smells that seep beyond a home's property line to excessive noise to excessive lights and suspicious vehicle traffic.

"If a home owner is determined to grow marijuana illegally, they will be cited and the grow operation will be shut down," he wrote in an email to the Free Press.

In Clinton Township, Police Chief Fred Posavetz said the department hasn't done any extra training for the upcoming commercial market. Officers already have been trained to request a blood test if they stop a suspected high driver.

But his officers won't be checking to see whether people are growing more than the permitted number of plants at their homes or looking for people who are smoking pot in public, which is illegal under the new law.

If they get caught red-handed, however, the smoker will be issued an ordinance violation ticket, Posavetz added.

But most departments aren’t actively patrolling for pot smokers in public.

“It’s not anything we’re looking for. We all smell marijuana more than we used to,” said MSP’s Shaw. “But you can’t smoke in public. We do have statewide jurisdiction and if we see something, it would be up to the trooper to decide on what to do with that.”

Police want more guidance from state
Many departments are frustrated by the lack of guidance in the ballot proposal that legalized recreational marijuana last year.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said until the Legislature passes some clarifying legislation on what police departments can and can’t do, the department has taken a hands-off approach.

“We haven’t investigated a marijuana case in more than a year,” he said. “We’re in absolute limbo in terms of law enforcement. Even in California, the governor recently called for a serious crackdown on trafficking and growing marijuana outside the legal system.”

K-9 squads still on the job
One area of law enforcement that will not be affected by the new recreational marijuana market are the drug-sniffing dogs employed by police departments.

The dogs are trained to alert on a wide variety of illegal substances, from heroin and cocaine to marijuana. They will still be used in that capacity, but Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said new dogs probably won’t be trained in detecting marijuana.

“We don’t think there is a need to decertify a dog because one of the drugs they’ve been trained to detect is no longer illegal,” Wayne County’s Pfannes said.

Warren’s Dwyer said at this point the department is not going to replace or retrain its dogs.

"It's too early, and we're not gonna jump the gun," he said. "They're still able to detect .other drugs."

I really, really don't care what cops think of our law. It's not for them to interpret law. It's to enforce laws as written. The people changed the law, and cops work for the people.

If they can't cope maybe they should seek professional help?

A while back the courts ruled cops can't hold you while they wait on a drug dog. Now they're saying that they can hold you to wait for a drug recognition expert?

And local police departments in my area retired drug dogs trained on mj, and are training new dogs, but excluding mj.

Oakland county needs to get the fuck with the law, instead of crying to the press. Get over it, elections have consequences.
 
Marijuana degree: Lake Superior State University offers cannabis programs
‘Cannabis Chemistry’ program at LSSU is first of its kind in nation

A new marijuana degree program at Lake Superior State University promises to prepare students “with the knowledge necessary to gain employment in emergent cannabis markets."

The university, located in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., says the “Cannabis Chemistry” program is “a mix of core curriculum chemistry with cutting-edge cannabis courses.” It’s the first degree of its kind in the United States.

“First of all, the market is expanding rapidly," said Dr. Steven Johnson, the professor of Cannabis Chemistry for Lake Superior State University, in an interview with UpNorthLive. “They’re estimating about 20,000 jobs in the state of Michigan alone.”

The university lists these program goals on its website:

  • Provide students with a solid foundation of chemistry courses including organic chemistry, instrumental analysis, and biochemistry
  • Allow students to develop techniques in cannabis extraction and separation
  • Build a base of chemistry knowledge with applications in the quantitative analysis of cannabis related compounds and contaminants
  • Equip graduates with the skills necessary to gain employment in emerging cannabis markets of law enforcement laboratory scientist, public health and safety, regulatory management, and business applications
The Cannabis Chemistry program has both baccalaureate and associate degrees.

Lake State also is offering a “Cannabis Business” degree program -- a baccalaureate of science.

“The program tailors the basics of business management principles to specific cannabis business functions and operations,” reads a statement on the school’s website.

Learn more about the programs at LSSU.edu.
 
Voters ban marijuana businesses in 7 Michigan municipalities

More communities have chosen to put a stop on pot, at least for now.

Voters in 7 Michigan municipalities — Keego Harbor, Walled Lake, Allen Park, Hudson, Mt. Pleasant, Marenisco Township, and South Haven — elected some form of bans on marijuana businesses in their communities on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Lincoln Park, Crystal Township, and Northfield Township all voted to allow pot shops.

Walled Lake already allows three marijuana businesses, but on Tuesday voters turned down a ballot proposal that would have allowed eight more. You can get into the weeds (pun intended) on what exactly were on these proposals over at The Detroit Free Press.

The ban does not affect the city's existing medical marijuana provisioning center, The Greenhouse of Walled Lake, which is on track to eventually allow recreational marijuana sales.

"I think it's awesome that the great people of Walled Lake saw through the smokescreen of Proposal 1 and want to keep Walled Lake a small community-driven city," Greenhouse owner Jerry Millen told The Oakland Press. "I applaud the citizens of Walled Lake and I'm happy to be a contributing member of this community for many years to come."

Though Michigan voters legalized recreational adult-use marijuana last November, the law allows local municipalities to choose whether or not to allow marijuana businesses. More than 1,300 communities have opted out so far, with many adopting a wait-and-see approach until the state allows marijuana retail stores, which is expected in early 2020.

So the matter could be revisited in these communities.
 
Can you all see my eyes rolling? :shakehead:

Michigan police say marijuana legalization has made their jobs harder


shutterstock_1450866533.jpg

  • Roberto Galan / Shutterstock.com
Cue the world's tiniest violin for Michigan cops, who have taken to the media in a couple of stories published this month to complain that last year's vote to legalize marijuana for recreational adult use has made their jobs more difficult.

Over at The Detroit Free Press, in a story headlined "Law enforcement facing the challenges of new legal marijuana laws," Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard — who earned a reputation for his ruthless crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries north of Eight Mile over the last decade — said his department has been forced to take a hands-off approach until additional guidance comes from the Legislature.

"We haven't investigated a marijuana case in more than a year," he said. "We're in absolute limbo in terms of law enforcement."

If Bouchard seemed a bit... rueful, perhaps?... well, maybe he is. "His position on this subject is bordering on hysterical," former Ferndale mayor Craig Covey previously told Metro Times of Bouchard. "[Bouchard] is stuck in the 1970s, following the Nixon model on drug policy. He's using our resources to go after marijuana issues rather than to go after heroin."

Other officers discussed the difficulties in roadside testing for marijuana-impaired drivers and the fact that new K-9 unit recruits will likely have to stop being trained to home in on that pungent smell of weed. And regarding that pungent smell, cops say there's nothing they can do about it now.

"If it's just the smell and odor we're hearing about, that’s not enough probable cause for us to go much further," Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus told the paper. "Before recreational became legal, we might have been doing search warrants, but everything seems to be gray and cloudy until the courts rule on the new laws."

And then last week, west Michigan's WBND-TV published a story headlined "Michigan Police claim marijuana legalization has made work difficult."

"We come across a lot of kids that are under 21 that have possession of it and obviously that's in violation so we seize it and go through the process that way," Michigan State Officer Andrew Jeffrey told the station. "[But] when we come across people that are 21 and older and actually have it legally that's where it's kind of hard to deal with it in that aspect."

Imagine how difficult the lives of millions of Americans who have faced jail time or lost their jobs are because of the racist war on drugs.

Of Reefer Madness-like concerns that legalization will flood the streets with pot, back at the Freep, Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police put things in perspective.

"The fallacy that there’s going to be all this marijuana out there is just that, a fallacy," he said. "It's already always been out there, so this isn't a big deal to us."
 
Can you all see my eyes rolling? :shakehead:

Michigan police say marijuana legalization has made their jobs harder


View attachment 14561
  • Roberto Galan / Shutterstock.com
Cue the world's tiniest violin for Michigan cops, who have taken to the media in a couple of stories published this month to complain that last year's vote to legalize marijuana for recreational adult use has made their jobs more difficult.

Over at The Detroit Free Press, in a story headlined "Law enforcement facing the challenges of new legal marijuana laws," Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard — who earned a reputation for his ruthless crackdown on medical marijuana dispensaries north of Eight Mile over the last decade — said his department has been forced to take a hands-off approach until additional guidance comes from the Legislature.

"We haven't investigated a marijuana case in more than a year," he said. "We're in absolute limbo in terms of law enforcement."

If Bouchard seemed a bit... rueful, perhaps?... well, maybe he is. "His position on this subject is bordering on hysterical," former Ferndale mayor Craig Covey previously told Metro Times of Bouchard. "[Bouchard] is stuck in the 1970s, following the Nixon model on drug policy. He's using our resources to go after marijuana issues rather than to go after heroin."

Other officers discussed the difficulties in roadside testing for marijuana-impaired drivers and the fact that new K-9 unit recruits will likely have to stop being trained to home in on that pungent smell of weed. And regarding that pungent smell, cops say there's nothing they can do about it now.

"If it's just the smell and odor we're hearing about, that’s not enough probable cause for us to go much further," Farmington Hills Police Chief Chuck Nebus told the paper. "Before recreational became legal, we might have been doing search warrants, but everything seems to be gray and cloudy until the courts rule on the new laws."

And then last week, west Michigan's WBND-TV published a story headlined "Michigan Police claim marijuana legalization has made work difficult."

"We come across a lot of kids that are under 21 that have possession of it and obviously that's in violation so we seize it and go through the process that way," Michigan State Officer Andrew Jeffrey told the station. "[But] when we come across people that are 21 and older and actually have it legally that's where it's kind of hard to deal with it in that aspect."

Imagine how difficult the lives of millions of Americans who have faced jail time or lost their jobs are because of the racist war on drugs.

Of Reefer Madness-like concerns that legalization will flood the streets with pot, back at the Freep, Lt. Michael Shaw of the Michigan State Police put things in perspective.

"The fallacy that there’s going to be all this marijuana out there is just that, a fallacy," he said. "It's already always been out there, so this isn't a big deal to us."

So many donuts they can't accept reality, lol. Sugar addled brains.

Maybe mandated re education training is in order.
 
Wait...what?????

Yes... but... good luck finding it. Now Detroit, which has the most dispensaries (oh... excuse me... provisioning centers) in Michigan has banned rec.

Detroit bans recreational marijuana sales, joining 79% of Michigan municipalities

Recreational marijuana dispensaries will begin opening on Dec. 1, but 79 percent of the state's communities have banned the businesses from opening.

Last week, the city of Detroit became the latest municipality to pass an ordinance barring growers and dispensaries from operating.

Nearly 1,400 of the state’s 1,773 cities, townships, and villages have chosen to prevent recreational marijuana businesses from opening, even though voters in most municipalities supported legalization of pot for anyone 21 years or older in November 2018.

Those municipalities will miss out on a share of the 10-percent excise tax on recreational marijuana sales. Recreational pot is expected to become a multibillion-dollar industry in Michigan that will create new jobs and provide a significant amount of new revenue for roads, schools, and municipalities.

In the first full fiscal year, marijuana sales are projected to generate $180.5 million in taxes, according to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency. That number is expected to grow to $287.9 million by 2022-23.

Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Ferndale are expected to be hubs for recreational marijuana businesses.

On Nov. 1, the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency began taking applications for recreational businesses, including dispensaries, growers, and processors.

So far, 47 businesses have pre-qualified for a recreational license. Some of them are in Detroit but can’t open until City Council lifts the ban.

The council waited until Nov. 5 — five days after the application process began — to unanimously pass the ban. The council had more than a year to act.

The ban, proposed by Councilman James Tate, is intended to be temporary to at least Jan. 31 so the city can create regulations for recreational marijuana. It’s unclear why council members waited so long. It caught prospective new business owners by surprise.

The Reef, which operates a large medical marijuana dispensary in Detroit, applied for a recreational license this month.

“Detroit completely dropped the ball,” Rush Hasan, head of operations and business development at the Reef, tells Metro Times. “Unfortunately it affects all of the businesses in Detroit.”

City council members said they hope to create new regulations by the end of January so the ban can be lifted.

Under the recreational marijuana law, which was approved by 55.9 percent of voters, residents can override municipalities' bans by gathering petitions to put the issue on the ballot. The first community to challenge a ban was Royal Oak Township on May 7. But only 377 voters turned out, and the referendum was defeated. Since then, residents in about 10 other communities turned down proposals to overturn bans.
 
Recreational marijuana dispensaries will begin opening on Dec. 1, but 79 percent of the state's communities have banned the businesses from opening.

This is fucking sad. Tell me one other, otherwise legal product,which little municipalities can deprive their citizens of access.

Its just stupid

residents can override municipalities' bans by gathering petitions to put the issue on the ballot.

And while they are at it, perhaps they would like to gather petitions to recall arrogant politicians who have decided that they know what is better for the citizens than the electorate which expressed its will via democratic voting.

Just horrible.
 
God... the cannabis situation here in Michigan is like the weather here... don't blink it might change.

" It’s unclear why the council waited a year before discussing regulations. " Hmmm...... betcha it was about money.....

Detroit's ban on recreational marijuana sales may be too late to stop some dispensaries from opening


Some recreational cannabis businesses may open in Detroit despite a ban because city leaders took too long to take action.

Detroit City Council imposed the ban on Nov. 5 — five days after the state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) began taking applications for recreational pot businesses, including dispensaries, growers, and processors.

But according to the state law that legalized recreational marijuana, the MRA “shall approve a state license application” if the proposed business applies before a community imposes a ban and meets all of the qualifications.

MRA spokesman David Harns confirmed to Metro Times that businesses that applied before the ban are eligible for a license.

“If we receive an application and there was no prohibitive ordinance in place, that application wold be granted if all of the criteria is met,” Harns says.

Council members said the ban is temporary and intended to give the city more time to establish regulations for recreational marijuana businesses. It’s unclear why the council waited a year before discussing regulations.

Detroit is among 79% of Michigan communities that imposed a ban on recreational marijuana businesses, despite the promise of new tax dollars and economic development. Many have adopted a wait-and-see approach and could revisit the issue later.

Beginning Dec. 1, recreational marijuana businesses will begin opening up and selling cannabis products to anyone 21 years of age or older.

In the first full fiscal year, marijuana sales are projected to generate $180.5 million in taxes, according to the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency. That number is expected to grow to $287.9 million by 2022-23.

Detroit’s decision to wait until after the application process began is good news for businesses that applied before Nov. 5. But for the proposed businesses that did not, they'll have to wait until council adopts new regulations and lifts the ban. That will create a competitive advantage for businesses that applied before the ban.

It's unclear which businesses or how many of them applied before the ban went into effect. The state is withholding that information until applications are approved.
 
Hemp-CBD Across State Lines: Michigan

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (“2018 Farm Bill”) legalized hemp by removing the crop and its derivatives from the definition of marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) and by providing a detailed framework for the cultivation of hemp. The 2018 Farm Bill gives the US Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) regulatory authority over hemp cultivation at the federal level. In turn, states have the option to maintain primary regulatory authority over the crop cultivated within their borders by submitting a plan to the USDA.

This federal and state interplay has resulted in many legislative and regulatory changes at the state level. Indeed, most states have introduced (and adopted) bills that would authorize the commercial production of hemp within their borders. A smaller but growing number of states also regulate the sale of products derived from hemp.

In light of these legislative changes, we are presenting a 50-state series analyzing how each jurisdiction treats hemp-derived cannabidiol (“Hemp CBD”). Each Sunday, we summarize a new state in alphabetical order. Today we turn to Michigan.

The cultivation of hemp has been authorized in Michigan and overseen by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (“MDARD”). Until a year ago, only the MDARD or a college or university could grow industrial hemp for the strict purpose of research.

However, on December 28, 2018, Governor Rick Snyder signed into law Michigan House Bills 6330, 6331 and 6380 (Public Acts 641, 642, and 648 of 2018), amending the Industrial Hemp Research Act and creating the new Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act. The Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act requires the MDARD to regulate the growing, processing and handling of industrial hemp. The other new laws make changes to the Public Health Code and the Michigan Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act to address the new Industrial Hemp Research and Development Act. Despite these enactments, the new laws won’t go into effect until the USDA approves the state’s plan and the MDARD adopts hemp rules.

Michigan does not appear to have a licensing process for creating products derived from industrial hemp. However, Michigan’s office of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (“LARA”), which oversees Michigan’s medical marijuana program, issued guidance, stating that marketing CBD-infused food is illegal in the state, per FDA guidelines. The guidelines are silent as to whether CBD may be lawfully infused to other categories of products. Earlier this fall, Michigan’s Governor prohibited the sale of flavored vape products, which seemed limited to nicotine products but could apply to Hemp CBD products. However, the ban was blocked by a judge on October 15, which means the sale of these products remains allowed but unregulated.

While Michigan seems to have jumped on the hemp-bandwagon, the state has yet to regulate the commercial production of hemp and Hemp-CBD products. Accordingly, the distribution and sale of Hemp-CBD products comes with certain risks in the Great Lakes State.
 
To listen to the 26 minute interview, follow the link....

Weed guys talk green zones, HR and growth as Michigan enters green rush

Jacskon Sabatella-collage_i.jpg

Chris Jackson (left) and Anthony Sabatella

Chris Jackson and Anthony Sabatella are cannabis entrepreneurs who are building companies at different ends of Michigan's green rush. Jackson is co-owner of Indica LLC in Ypsilanti, a state-licensed marijuana provisioning center that does business under the name "Sticky Ypsi." Sabatella is the founder of THC 123, a back-office support firm tailored to marijuana growers, distributors and retail stores. Jackson and Sabatella sat down with Crain's Senior Editor Chad Livengood last month at the 2020 Net Impact Conference at TCF Center in Detroit to talk about how they got into the budding industry and what challenges they see ahead. This interview was recorded for the "Detroit Rising" podcast.

Crain's Detroit Business: What's your background? What did you do before you got into marijuana business?

Sabatella: Back up all the way, I was a graduate in 2013 from Alma College in business administration, (with a) concentration in finance, minor in economics. And I might have been the weed guy at the campus. So after there I went and worked at my father's company, America's Back Office, which is the engine behind THC 123. And I'm currently our director of risk management and workers' compensation. ... So I was able to see all of those resources and that opportunity and took a look at my former life and I saw the cannabis industry really needed that back office and that HR support. And from there we decided to create THC 123.

You're trying to "professional" the potheads, so to speak?

Sabatella:
Absolutely, that's what we are. We are professionals.

And Chris, what's your background? How did you get into this business?

Jackson
: I hail from Pontiac. I graduated from Hope College. So we beat Alma a number of times in football when I was playing there. I ended up working as a project manager in corporate America for a pretty large corporation. Shortly after that, I moved back to Pontiac, ran for both City Council and state representative. ... Economic empowerment and criminal justice reform were my main platforms ... so it transitioned well in filling a gap for the company I work with now.

So tell me a little about your operation you run in Ypsilanti right now.

Jackson:
We run a provisioning center. It's called Sticky Ypsi in Ypsilanti. So we're one of many in a saturated Ann Arbor-Ypsilanti. But we've been performing. ... We are incrementally growing but getting what we call vertically integrated as we speak. So that's when you control the entire process — you manufacture your own plant, can extract oils or process and ultimately sell it at retail. Right now we have our retail location and are under construction for our processing plant (in Mt. Morris, north of Flint).

What type of problems have you run into trying to get into an industrial space?

Jackson:
Oh, my goodness. ... Some areas like Mt. Morris say, 'Hey, here's a green zone. You can only operate within a certain space.' ... The main issue that we have is that once people find out that their building falls within the green zone, prices go way out of control. If you look at downtown Pontiac right now ... so many buildings are held up for the potential of a provisioning center, it's almost impossible for anyone to get a good rate that is in any industry outside of the cannabis industry.

Anthony, your business is really a business-to-business operation for these emerging companies like Sticky Ypsi. How are you getting your foot in the door to sell your services? What's the pitch?

Sabatella:
The pitch is the need for the cannabis industry to take a strong look at HR because (Chris Jackson's) operation is just going to be a building with some plants in it if he doesn't have the people. We're really looking and showing business owners the need to dive down, take care of the people that are really taking care of the people to really retain that top talent to keep their business growing and to keep it on pace for the large industry growth that's about to take place.

As we get closer to recreational marijuana sales starting in December, what are some of the issues that are going to emerge as the industry is getting its legs?

Jackson:
There's a shortage of flower in the industry right now. It takes six to eight months to drop your first crop. Then it has to be tested and meet certain testing standards. We're doing OK, but the goal for now is just to stay alive. Because some only have a couple of strains on their shelf.

Chris, what trend should we watch for in the cannabis industry?

Jackson:
The interesting thing is going to be the micro business license. It's going to be a new type of license where it's essentially going to be like craft breweries, but for the cannabis industry. You'll have an all-in-one opportunity to not only be the (retail) outlet, but manufacture a small amount of plant and extract oils... You'll see a lot more of those popping up, I think, in the very near future. I'm interested to see how that plays out.
 

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