Law Michigan MMJ

[momofthegoons]

Royal Oak commission OKs recreational marijuana licensing ordinance

The Royal Oak City Commission on Monday approved an ordinance for recreational marijuana sales in the city and a measure detailing where the businesses can locate.

By a 5-2 vote, the commission first approved a recreational marijuana licensing ordinance slated to take effect Aug. 15. It states retailers and micro-businesses would be prohibited from operating within 1,000 feet of any existing school or any other retailer or micro-business.

The commission then had a second reading of related zoning ordinance amendments that called for distance between the marijuana businesses and parks or places of worship. But the commissioners voted to have only the 1,000-foot requirement from schools.

The decisions at the panel’s nearly four-hour virtual meeting came after more than 20 residents shared public comments opposing locating marijuana shops along Woodward Avenue and close to neighborhoods.

Many cited concerns about increased traffic and decreased property values.


“No one is going to move to Royal Oak as a resident because they want to be closer to a marijuana shop,” one resident told the commission in a recorded message.

Another said: “When we voted to legalize marijuana in Royal Oak, it wasn’t for approving distribution centers all along Woodward. It distracts from the presentation of the Woodward corridor.”

In a lengthy discussion, several commissioners said they had been studying the issue for more than a year. Voters in November 2018 approved recreational sales by a 56% to 44% margin. The commission researched the impact of marijuana shops in other communities, and city officials checked with other police departments about issues such as increased traffic and crime.

“I think we’ve done more than enough to work on this issue,” said Patricia Paruch, mayor pro-tem.

Mayor Michael Fournier said applicants face a long process to open in the city and would be rejected if they failed to meet criteria.

“If any petitioner finds himself having the opportunity to get a license, wherever they plan to locate, those neighbors are going to be notified. Things are going to be looked at in great detail,” he said. “…This isn’t an ordinance that just allows for stores to pop up.”

City Manager Paul Brake said the city has to create an application process, which could take a few weeks. Plus, city offices have been closed during the pandemic, and employees and equipment will be moving into a new building in late August.

The city manager said once a process is in place, there likely will be an extensive review of applications and proposed sites, which could take 90 days.

Citing concerns residents raised about proximity to their homes, Commissioner Randy LeVasseur proposed a motion to the zoning issue adding a 150-foot buffer from residential neighborhoods.

Commissioner Kim Gibbs supported his motion. “We haven’t had any studies saying this is going to work out,” she said, adding she worried about shops opening near churches that host programs for people struggling with addiction.

“Having locations where drugs can be bought is not really helping those who are seeking help from these churches and houses of worship to keep themselves in a healthier position,” she said.

Her colleagues rejected the motion and instead passed another, introduced by Commissioner Sharlan Douglas, that tweaked the zoning ordinance amendments to match the licensing one, specifying the 1,000-foot space from schools.

“Parks and churches have existed on Woodward and have been exposed to a lot of other” businesses, Paruch said, including those she believed posed more risk.

Fournier said changes could be made if necessary.

In the public comments that started the meeting Monday night, some residents said the commission should have done more research, and that any marijuana shops belong in an industrial area or other spot far from families.

"It’s really poor planning," one woman said. "It would be a stressor on the Police Department. It’s a stressor on the neighborhoods. … Why are you pushing for this?

 

[momofthegoons]

Recent Survey Suggests Cannabis Is Becoming A Bipartisan Issue In Michigan

New data shows possible bipartisanship when it comes to cannabis. But are the numbers accurate?

As the country gets ready for the much-debated November 2020 elections that are fast approaching, election scorecards are being released, taking the pulse of the country and how we feel about hot-button issues. According to Michigan’s cannabis-focused election scorecard, the once-liberal issue of cannabis is now becoming increasingly bipartisan.

The card was released ahead of the primary elections to give a preview of what might be in store this coming fall. According to the results, state lawmakers across the board are starting to favor legalizing cannabis—not just liberal, progressive, or Democratic candidates, as in years past. The survey comes from the Lansing-based political consultants Grassroots Midwest. It grades candidates as well as looks at the numbers on issues.

“The results confirmed what we are seeing firsthand, that support for cannabis has become a bipartisan issue,” Robin Schneider, executive director of the MiCIA, claimed in a released statement, according to the Detroit Metro Times. “As we have rolled out our industry in Michigan, lawmakers are respecting and upholding the will of the voters.”

Cannabis questions like “Studies show racial disparities in cannabis related law enforcement, despite the fact that white people and people of color use and sell cannabis at the same rate. Will you support policies to minimize these disparities?” and “Would you be supportive of state-licensed cannabis businesses located in your district?” found out exactly how people feel about racially charged cannabis issues and the presence of dispensaries in Michigan.

Some questions got even more political, including “Individuals have been deported, denied green cards, denied admission to the country, and have been removed from federally subsidized housing based on state-legal cannabis use and/or involvement in the state-legal cannabis industry. Would you work to end these federal consequences for state-legal cannabis activities?”

The survey on the scorecard also had a question asking about the new, trending topic of the MORE Act, the act that would regulate cannabis on a federal level, as well as a question about support of cannabis legalization nationwide in the event of a turning tide this election season. All in all, it covered the biggest issues in cannabis right now, and most of the results were favorable for legalization.

Is This Data Accurate?
Despite the politically charged nature of some of these questions, both Democrats and Republicans in Michigan overwhelmingly showed that they would support cannabis. One hundred percent of Democrats and 90 percent of Republicans earned an A or B when it came to cannabis issues.

However, the numbers are skewed, as 66 percent of Democrats filled out their answers, and only 33 percent of Republicans turned theirs in. Among those who did not respond are Randy Maloney (Democrat), and Michael Bouchard, a Republican who is known for being extremely anti-cannabis.

Despite the flaws in this data, and the fact that this only reflects info for one state, these numbers are indicative of a bigger shift in the U.S. when it comes to thinking about legal cannabis. Hopefully, this serves as a preview of what’s to come with full, nationwide legalization in the near future.

 

[momofthegoons]

Michigan Attorney General Pushes Governor On Marijuana Clemency For Prisoner With COVID

The attorney general of Michigan is asking the governor to commute the sentence of a 69-year-old inmate who was convicted of selling marijuana more than two decades ago and has since contracted the coronavirus in prison.

Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) wrote in a letter on Wednesday that while her office doesn’t have the power to unilaterally grant clemency, it is strongly recommending that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) use her own authority to facilitate the commutation, arguing that Michael Thompson’s sentence for selling three pounds of cannabis to an undercover police officer in 1996 is excessive.



The fact that Michigan legalized marijuana for adult use in 2018 underscores the need for restorative justice, she wrote to the governor.

“A decades-long sentence like that imposed on Mr. Thompson is usually reserved for second-degree murder convictions or for particularly heinous rape cases involving multiple aggravated factors,” Nessel said. “Sentences of this length for selling marijuana are simply unheard of, even when accompanied by firearms offenses.”



“Given that recreational and medicinal marijuana is now legal in Michigan, allowing Mr. Thompson to continue to serve this very draconian sentence is even more offensive and unreasonable,” she wrote.

The attorney general said that under today’s criminal statutes, Thompson’s offense would be punishable by a maximum of four years in prison, or eight if he was convicted of a second drug crime.

Because Thompson was also convicted on firearms charges, the trial court handed him a sentence of 42-60 years in prison, which the state’s top prosecutor described as “a sentence almost unheard of for such convictions.”

“Though, strictly speaking, Mr. Thompson’s sentence was legal at the time it was imposed, this does not necessarily mean it is proportionate to the offenses committed and to the offender,” Nessel wrote, adding that the Thompson’s infection with the coronavirus highlights the need to quickly grant his commutation application.

“Since Mr. Thompson should not have been in prison in 2020 if sentenced fairly, it is appropriate to consider the personal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in determining whether to grant his application for commutation of his sentence,” the letter states.

“For all these reasons, I respectfully urge you to expeditiously grant Mr. Thompson’s application for commutation of his sentence and mandate his immediate release from prison,” she told the governor. “Mr. Thompson has more than sufficiently paid for the crimes he committed and should be allowed to spend the remaining years of his life with family and friends.”

Marijuana Moment reached out to the office of Whitmer, who is reportedly being considered as a potential vice presidential running mate for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, about whether her office plans to grant Thompson clemency, but a representative did not immediately respond.

Activist Shaun King said he also did not hear back from the governor’s office when he inquired, but he alleged that friends of Whitmer told him “it’s because she’s being considered for Biden’s VP,” and the former vice president remains opposed to marijuana legalization.


The marijuana community has been a strong advocate for Thompson’s release, with multiple high-profile voices calling for his release.

“The weed industry is run almost entirely by white men while people like Michael Thompson spend their lives in prison,” comedian Sarah Silverman said last week.



Television host and cannabis advocate Montel Williams also weighed in.



Read the attorney general’s letter to the governor on commuting Thompson’s marijuana sentence by following title link and scrolling to the bottom of the article.

 

[momofthegoons]

More recreational marijuana options could come to Michigan this fall
An influx of new recreational marijuana businesses could be coming to Michigan some time after Nov. 1.

If that happens, marijuana customers may see lower prices and a greater selection of recreational marijuana. It could also push medical marijuana shoppers, who play an increasingly smaller roll in the Michigan marijuana universe, further to the side.

The Michigan Regulatory Agency is considering doing away with a requirement that any recreational marijuana applicant first possess a medical marijuana business license, a stipulation that’s so far limited access to the recreational market and ensured a certain level of supply and retail options for medical marijuana customers.

“No decision has been officially made, yet,” Marijuana Regulatory Agency Director Andrew Brisbo said. " ... But I’ve mentioned publicly a number of times that we were leaning in that direction of eliminating the requirement.”

Budget forecasters in Lansing are counting on the recreational marijuana industry hitting $1.5 billion in total sales between October of this year and September of 2020, which translates to nearly $240 million in tax revenue for the state. While Brisbo said the market is already on pace to meet that mark, opening it up to more participants is sure to further increase Lansing’s cut, which includes a 6% sales and 10% excise tax. As of July, customers spent more than $200 million on marijuana products since the first stores opened in Ann Arbor on Dec. 1.

Robin Schneider, director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association, a trade organization comprised of over 200 marijuana businesses, said the original intent of the medical license prerequisite was to give pioneering companies that assumed risk and invested early a chance to establish themselves and recoup costs before the recreational market was flooded with competition. The first medical marijuana business licenses were issued in 2018 and recreational businesses began opening last December.

The recreational marijuana law, which Schneider participated in the drafting of, left the medical license prerequisite in place for two years after the first applications were received. While most accepted this would mean stand-alone recreational marijuana businesses would be barred from the industry until after Nov. 1, 2021, there was a caveat.

The 2018 voter-passed law said the state could do away with the requirement one year after the first recreational business applications were received in order to curb the black market, increase access to rural communities or to satisfy supply shortages.

Brisbo said doing so in November would serve to do all those things.

Marijuana access in rural areas is improving with increased delivery options but remains sparse, Brisbo said. He believes elimination of the prerequisite would allow the regulated market to grow, thereby reducing any existing reliance on black market products.

“And the greater number of operators and the more competition there is, that would tend likely to reduce prices through the supply chain and at the retail level,” Brisbo said. “We certainly aren’t meeting demand yet, but I think it is important to consider the pace of growth in the regulated market and whether that is consistently increasing to meet that demand at some point in a reasonable time frame.”

Brisbo said a byproduct of eliminating the medical license prerequisite would be greater access to social equity. Built into the law is a requirements that the industry assist Michigan residents and communities who’ve been disproportionately impacted by prior marijuana prohibition, such as those previously convicted of marijuana possession crimes. Some social equity efforts have included licensing and application fee reductions and free assistance with license submissions or business plans.

Elimination of the medical license prerequisite would lower the initial cost for new businesses to enter the market. Brisbo also noted that some would-be recreational business owners are barred from the market because of their criminal records.

While the marijuana legalization law allows those convicted of marijuana possession or distribution crimes to apply for recreational licenses, the medical law does not. Since you need a medical license before applying for a recreational license, those applicants are effectively cut off from the recreational market that’s seeking to include them.

“The requirements for eligibility on the adult-use side are not as strict as those on the medical side,” Brisbo said. The recreational licensing law only blocks someone who’s been convicted of distributing controlled substances to a minor, “whereas the ineligibility provisions related to convictions in the (medical licensing rules) are more strict.”

In Detroit, where medical marijuana businesses already operate, leaders have blocked recreational business. Councilman James Tate Jr. said this because creating a framework that encourages the inclusion of local residents most harmed by prior marijuana prohibition has proven difficult.

Members of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association are split on whether the change should occur.

“Stand-alone retailers are going to say we need more production licenses on the rec side,’ Schneider said. “If you are a medical grower or a vertically integrated grower, you’re probably not going to be as supportive.”

There are several behemoth companies in the market that hold licenses to grow tens of thousands of marijuana plants. They’re able to leverage limited supply in a high-demand, slim-pickings market, which can artificially increase prices retailers and their customers pay for marijuana.

According to state monthly statistical reports, the average retail cost of an ounce of marijuana has risen $85 in six months, from $311.96 in January to $397.70 in June.

Steve Linder is director of the Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association, which advocates for some of the industries largest companies representing over $400 million in investments, said his members are against eliminating the medical license prerequisite.

“Because it’s a regulated industry, you have to assume the rules that manage the structure of the industry are enforced as they’re written,” he said.

Linder points out inconsistency in the clause that allows the Marijuana Regulatory Agency to eliminate the prerequisite, noting that it is included in the language original law but left out of the more-expansive set of permanent rules that the Marijuana Regulatory Agency put into effect this summer. He also questions the fairness, since his members approached their business plans and investment strategy with certain assumptions, one being that the market space would be limited until November 2021.

In order to meet booming recreational demand, the state began allowing medical marijuana to be transferred for recreational sale. Retailers are allowed to transfer 50% of any marijuana for recreational sale once it’s been in inventory for 30 days. Medical marijuana processors and growers are allowed to transfer 50% of any harvested marijuana or finished produces for recreational sale.

Much of the marijuana on store shelves that’s for purchase by the general public originated under medical licenses and was later transferred for recreational sale.

There are nearly twice as many recreational marijuana stores as there are recreational growers, and multiple businesses that possess grow licenses supply only their own retail locations.

The dynamics of the growing industry can make it difficult for independent retailers, like Freddie’s in Clio, to get the marijuana products they and their customers want.

“The demand, as far as recreational availability, I can tell you is not being met,” said Freddie’s general manager Brett Stephens. This change would be “an alteration to meet the demands of the adult-use customer statewide.”

In an effort to combat its own recreational marijuana shortages, Freddie’s is currently seeking a recreational marijuana growing license of its own.

Stephens said it’s a constant battle to acquire marijuana and marijuana products, especially popular vaping cartridges that came under heavy regulation following a health scare last year.

While he sees the proposed changes increasing the size of the recreational market, he fears what it will do to the medical marijuana market.

“What I don’t like about it is the medical customer, they were advocates for the industry this entire time,” he said, “so I would just like for them not to be forgotten, but I think there is a happy medium between the two ideologies and the two customer bases.”

Stephens said only about 5% to 15% of the customers he serves are registered medical marijuana patients. While the same products are generally available for both recreational and medical consumption, medical customers usually have access to lower-priced marijuana and are not required to pay an excise tax.

The number of registered medical marijuana patients, 246,000 as of June, is dwarfed by the 6 million-plus, 21-and-up Michigan residents who make up the possible recreational market. The medical marijuana market has shrunk by 20,000 registered patients and 3,500 registered caregivers since January.

 

[mudshark]

Legal cannabis: Sales around the corner in Iron Mountain, Crystal Falls

JUN 13, 2020
JIM ANDERSON
News Editor
janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com

Casey Honeyager, local representative for the Rize Cannabis project, stands in front of the Rize UP building at 1580 North Stephenson Ave. in Iron Mountain. Rize may begin marijuana sales at the location as soon as July 1. (Theresa Proudfit/Daily News photos)


IRON MOUNTAIN — Recreational marijuana sales will begin this summer in Dickinson and Iron counties if plans by developers stay on course.

Rize Cannabis hopes to begin sales July 1 at 1580 N. Stephenson Ave., but the date isn’t definite, said Casey Honeyager of Republic, manager for the Iron Mountain project. “It’s having all the T’s crossed and the I’s dotted,” he explained.

A retail business in Crystal Falls could potentially be licensed in a month or two, while Lume Cannabis Co.’s downtown Iron Mountain shop may not open until 2021.

Rize is the biggest investor locally, having promised a $5 million project and 60 to 90 jobs in securing one of Iron Mountain’s two licenses for dispensaries. Before the coronavirus arrived, the company had targeted late April to begin adult-use sales.

“It has been a scary time with COVID,” Honeyager said. “We shut down for seven weeks and now take precautions to prevent the spread. We look forward to being part of this great community in Iron Mountain.”

Joe Occhietti , Mike Winch and Lance Miller of Sikora Sheet Metal Inc. work on the plumbing at the Rize UP building in Iron Mountain.


Renovating a former soft drink plant a quarter-mile south of Industrial Drive, Rize is several months away from getting its growing and processing facility launched. The company also plans to open downstate facilities in Madison Heights and Traverse City.

The owners of Rize, according to the company’s application, are Nick Issak of Macomb and Julie Wentworth of Bay Harbor.

Although local cultivation hasn’t begun, securing products for Iron Mountain shouldn’t be an issue, Honeyager said.

Lume Cannabis is coming to Iron Mountain in cooperation with Attitude Wellness, owned by Robert Barnes of Evart, who offered a $2.18 million investment and 20 jobs in gaining the city’s second dispensary license.

The retail business will be at 117 and 119 S. Stephenson Ave., where substantial work is needed on structures first erected in the late 1800s.

A former church building at 116 Superior Ave. in Crystal Falls has been sold to a developer who plans to have a marijuana retail outlet at the downtown site, along with a growing and processing facility in the city’s industrial park.

“We’ve got to treat them delicately,” said Lume president Doug Hellyar, noting the tentative opening date is Dec. 31.

Lume has opened a marijuana outlet in Negaunee, while a shop in Sault Ste. Marie should be ready by early September. The company has seven current locations in Lower Michigan, with six more planned.

Lume’s growing and processing facility in Iron Mountain will be on the west side of Hydraulic Falls Road between Stephenson Avenue and Breitung Cutoff Road. Although no ground has been broken, Hellyar envisions the facility serving all of Lume’s U.P. market, which may expand by as many as six locations.

Based in Troy, Lume has a large cultivation center in Evart.

In Iron County, the city of Crystal Falls adopted an ordinance in October to allow up to two retail licenses in the business district, plus an unlimited number for growing and processing in the industrial district.

“There’s a lot of interest,” said City Manager Gerard Valesano. “We’re filled with what our council was willing to allow for retail.”

Ottawa Inventions, which is renovating a former church at 116 Superior Ave. at the east end of downtown, hopes to open its Higher Love retail business yet this summer. The company plans a growing and processing facility in the industrial park on the city’s west end north of U.S. 2.

Ottawa Innovations is connected with Landmark Real Estate and Development, and Walter Moore, who purchased property in the industrial park for a token sum through the city’s economic development efforts. Valesano described it as “a pretty substantial operation,” providing as many as 40 jobs while housing 8,000 marijuana plants.

Another marijuana shop is planned at 32 Superior Ave. in the former Sentinel building, but no timetable has been announced. Donovan Burke of Northern High Lights LLC is the representative, having acquired industrial park property with plans to initially house up to 100 plants.

The city has platted areas in the industrial park to meet the needs of interested grow facilities. The businesses will provide a significant economic boost not only in wages and benefits but also in license fees, tax income and utility use, Valesano said.

Crystal Falls voters approved legalized marijuana in November 2018 with 370 yes to 308 no. The election was a factor in the city’s decision to go forward with licensing after initially declining.

“I think that had a lot to do with our council opting in,” Valesano said.

Iron Mountain adopted an ordinance in June 2019 to invite medical marijuana businesses and followed through in October with an ordinance for adult-use facilities.

Its limited licenses were awarded on a competitive basis, mainly emphasizing economic impact. While only two dispensaries will be permitted, up to five growing and processing operations are allowed.

Michigan voters chose to legalize marijuana for adults in November 2018, ten years after approving medical marijuana use. Iron Mountain’s vote in 2018 was 1,543 yes to 1,460 no.

The state’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency is charged with regulating and licensing marijuana establishments. Under legislation signed into law by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in February, marijuana products must include warnings regarding risks to unborn children and children who are breastfeeding.

Marijuana shops also must make pamphlets available explaining underage use health risks.

Jim Anderson can be reached at 906-774-3500, ext. 226, or janderson@ironmountaindailynews.com.

 

[momofthegoons]

Monroe Township passes marijuana ordinance

Monroe Township Supervisor Al Barron said the expectation is for any cannabis-related businesses to be located along the LaPlaisance corridor.

Monroe Charter Township on Tuesday became one of the first municipalities in Monroe County to approve an ordinance governing marijuana businesses.

The township board of trustees approved a zoning ordinance that includes a section regulating marijuana microbusinesses, processors, retailers, provisioning centers, compliance businesses and transporters.

Per the ordinance, “Marihuana Growers shall be allowed to be located within (i) L-I (light industrial) zoned districts or (ii) C- 2 (general commercial) zoned districts with special approval...

″...in the Charter Township of Monroe after receiving site plan approval and further provided that the Marihuana Grower meets the conditions set forth in this Ordinance.”


The ordinance prohibits any marijuana business, or activities associated with the business, from operating inside a residential space, with the exception of operations allowed under the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act and the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act for medical marihuana.

Drive-through and mobile marijuana businesses are prohibited, as are marijuana designated consumption establishments.

Marijuana businesses must be located at least 1,000 feet, as measured door-to-door, from any licensed child care business, preschool program center, or any public or private primary, intermediate or secondary school.

They are not allowed in any Residential Zoning Districts, and must be set back at least 500 feet as measured door-to door from a primary residence in a Residential Zoned District, or from the nearest campsite or church.

Township Supervisor Al Barron said the expectation is for any cannabis-related businesses to be located along the LaPlaisance corridor, one of the only areas in the township that fits the criteria laid out in the ordinance.

“I think the primary goal was to focus on LaPlaisance Road,” Barron said. “There’s no residents out there. It’s a good area that obviously needs developing...
“As far as other places, there’s not that many C-2 (zoned) areas.”

Barron added that he believes it’s “absolutely an economic advantage” to be one of the first municipalities in Monroe County to pass a marijuana ordinance.

“COVID-19 put a little damper into getting it passed,” he said. “It should have passed back in June, we said that was our timeline. But we did get it passed at Tuesday’s meeting.”

Barron said that the township has already received a lot of interest from individuals looking to apply for the proper licenses to open marijuana-related businesses within the township.

While the ordinance has drawn crowds to recent township board meetings, the supervisor said those who attended were mostly proponents of the industry.

“There’s been very little contention,” Barron said. “That could change, but we hope that we have a grip on this...
“As of right now, there’s been very, very few complaints.”

 

[CarolKing]

Former Detroit Lions players bring NFL star power to Niles marijuana industry

Calvin Johnson, Rob Sims plan to open the city's latest dispensary

www.southbendtribune.com

Former Detroit Lions players bring NFL star power to Niles marijuana industry

• By Ed Semmler South Bend Tribune
• 6 hrs ago

Former NFL players Rob Sims, left, and Calvin Johnson stand outside the building they plan to convert into a marijuana dispensary in Niles.
Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN

NILES — The owners of the city’s third medical marijuana dispensary pulled into their latest business venture in pure American muscle.
Calvin Johnson, one of the NFL’s most productive wide receivers, rolled into the lot of the former Billiard Garden with a customized 1000-horsepower Dodge Challenger. Rob Sims, his former teammate on the Detroit Lions, pulled in a few minutes later with a souped-up 700-horsepower Ford-150.

You wouldn’t expect less from athletes who earned their living on Sundays playing professional football.
But the two were in Niles on Monday morning to focus on pot — specifically to take a look at the progress on the long-abandoned Billiard Garden building, at 1286 S. 11th Street, before quickly heading out to look at possible retail locations they are planning to open in other Michigan cities.

They are investors in a 12,000-square-foot indoor grow facility just outside the village of Webberville, and by the end of November they hope to open their first retail location for medical and recreational marijuana in leased space inside the Billiard Garden, a former Niles pool hall.

Eventually, they’d like to expand to a few other locations around the state and possibly open an outdoor growing facility, Sims said.
Johnson played for the Lions for nine seasons, with the nickname “Megatron,” before retiring in 2016 as one of the NFL’s greatest receivers. Sims started his NFL career in 2006 as an offensive lineman for nine seasons, the last five in Detroit.
The two struck up a friendship while with the Lions and discovered they had mutual interests in real estate and entrepreneurship, said Sims, explaining that they own investment properties in Michigan.

But the two also had a belief in the benefits of marijuana, admitting that they used it to manage the aches and pains resulting from the hits they received in the NFL.

They know it wasn’t allowed at the time, but it seemed like a safer alternative.
“It was more natural and holistic than other options, such as opioids, for pain and inflammation,” Johnson said. “Other options are needed that are less damaging or addictive.”
Sims feels the same way about the use of marijuana for pain management, but doesn’t suggest current players should break any rules if it could jeopardize their careers.

Though neither of the two was diagnosed with concussions during their playing days, they made a six-figure donation to Harvard University to help research the benefits of marijuana for pain management as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
“We think it could help with MS, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases,” Sims said. “There might be additional medical benefits that we don’t know about but are worth investigating.”
Based on their interests, it was a natural progression for the two to begin investigating the possibility of expanding their business interests into the new field.

Though the new store in Niles was originally going to be called Primativ, it will now be called Prime to separate the retail operation from other portions of the overall business, said Johnson, adding that they won’t be using the entire building for the dispensary.
“We have other ideas in mind for the other piece of the building,” he said, declining to provide details.
Sims said they were drawn to the location because of the size of the building, the ample parking, the ease of working with Niles officials and the proximity to U.S. 12 and the Indiana border.

If allowed, they might eventually have autograph signings and other events at the store because of their NFL contacts, Sims said.
Including GreenStem and ReLeaf Center, the new dispensary would be the third in Niles, with another provisioning center coming and the possibility of four smaller micro businesses — kind of like a marijuana boutique store. But beyond those retail locations, there also are two grow/processing facilities already operating, with the likelihood of four more to come, said Sanya Vitale, Niles community development director.

The city is “always taking emails for vendors interested in grows, processing, transport, and labs,” said Vitale, adding that the new industry already has created more than 200 jobs.

 

[momofthegoons]

So..... how did it get on the shelf if it failed contaminant testing? And why are the standards different for adult use market?

Michigan recalls numerous varieties of marijuana flower sold at nine dispensaries statewide

The Michigan Regulatory Agency has recalled numerous varieties of cannabis flower sold at nine dispensaries for failing contaminant testing for yeast and mold.

The contaminated marijuana failed standards for the medical market but not for the adult-use market, which has lower testing standards.

Dispensaries that sold the contaminated marijuana flower are GreenCare in River Rouge, 20 Past 4 in Jackson, Common Citizen in Detroit, Flint, and Battle Creek, and 3Fifteen in Detroit, Flint, and Grand Rapids.

Michigan’s legal marijuana system requires cannabis to be tested at independent labs before being sold. Dispensaries are required to notify customers who purchased marijuana that has been recalled.

The Michigan Regulatory Agency is asking people who bought the contaminated marijuana to return it to the dispensary where they purchased it. For details on the recalled products, click here.

 

[CarolKing]

First-of-kind marijuana microbusiness approved to open in northern Michigan

Michigan issued the very first recreational marijuana microbusiness license this week.

www.mlive.com

ated 8:06 AM; Today 8:06 AM

File photo, Thursday March, 12, 2020. Nicole Hester/Mlive.com
By Gus Burns | fburns@mlive.com
Michigan issued the very first recreational marijuana microbusiness license to a company in Presque Isle County’s Onaway this week.
The business, Sticky Bush Farms owned by Benjamin Kolasa according to state licensing records, is allowed to grow up to 150 plants, the marijuana from which may then be processed into oil, edibles or other marijuana products, packaged and sold from a retail shop.

The license is meant for small, self-contained businesses that are not allowed to interact with the rest of the licensed market, meaning they can’t acquire marijuana or marijuana products from outside growers, processors or retailers, and may not sell any products to other marijuana dispensaries or retailers.

 

[momofthegoons]

 

[momofthegoons]

Michigan Senate leaves DWI's out of expungement expansion

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Michigan Senate passed bills that would allow hundreds of thousands of people to clear criminal records.

The state estimates the expungement measures would affect hundreds of thousands people, including those with marijuana convictions before it was legalized for recreational use in 2018.

The legislation passed the state Senate Wednesday. If signed into law, Michigan would have an automated system for expungements of certain felonies after 10 years and misdemeanors after seven years.


According to the Chicago-based Alliance for Safety and Justice, the legislation aims to help more people to successfully navigate the expungement process in Michigan where only a few thousand people each year now receive expungements.

 

[momofthegoons]

How the hell is this still happening?

Cannabis vape cartridges sold at Detroit's Plan B Wellness recalled for containing vitamin E acetate

It looks like the vaping scare isn't over just yet.

Michigan's Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) issued a recall on Thursday for cannabis vaping cartridges that failed a safety test for vitamin E acetate last month. The cartridges were sold at Plan B Wellness in Detroit at 20101 Eight Mile Rd.




Patients or caregivers who have the vape cartridges are asked to return them to Plan B Wellness for disposal. The company has also been asked to notify patients or caregivers that purchased these vape cartridges of the recall.

According to the agency, the cartridges were manufactured before the state issued emergency rules for cannabis vaping products in November of last year.




The products are:

Package # 1A405010000426A000000084 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between October 10, 2019 and November 22, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000217 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between October 17, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000235 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between November 1, 2019 and November 17, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000110 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between October 9, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000200 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between October 7, 2019 and November 22, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000005 (Dank Vape Cart 1g)
Sold between October 4, 2019 and November 22, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000027 (Monopoly Carts 1g)
Sold between October 4, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000138 (Monopoly Carts 1g)
Sold between October 22, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000644 (Monopoly Carts 1g)
Sold between November 16, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000499 (Monopoly Carts 1g)
Sold between October 11, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000020 (Sky Sticks 1g)
Sold between October 03, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000646 (Sky Stick 1g)
Sold between October 22, 2019 and November 21, 2019

Package # 1A405010000426A000000024 (Planet X Cart 1g)
Sold between October 5, 2019 and November 8, 2019

More information is here.

Last year, there was a bit of confusion as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer launched a campaign against nicotine vaping products like Juul, citing a rise in teen vaping. At the same time, a mysterious illness linked to vaping was sending otherwise healthy individuals to hospitals around the country, causing many people to conflate the two issues. Eventually, it was discovered that cannabis vaping products containing vitamin E acetate, a substance commonly used to dilute black-market vaping oil, was the cause of the illness.

Plan B Wellness has been ordered to recall products for containing vitamin E acetate multiple times.

 

[momofthegoons]

Michigan: Lawmakers Approve Marijuana Expungement Legislation

Members of the Michigan state House and Senate have approved legislation to allow for the courts to “set aside” certain past marijuana convictions.

House Bill 4982 explicitly permits those convicted of one or more misdemeanor marijuana offenses to file a petition with the court to have their criminal record set aside. According to the Associated Press: “In Michigan, an expungement — or set aside — clears the public record of a conviction so it does not appear in a background check. Law enforcement still keeps a non-public record, but people no longer have to disclose their criminal past on job applications or other forms.”

Senators recently approved an amended version of the House bill by a 334 to 34 vote. House members then re-approved the amended measure by a 98 to 7 vote. The measure now goes to the desk of Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who has expressed support for this policy change.

House Bill 4982 is a part of a broader package of expungement-related legislation approved by the legislature. A separate bill in the package, HB 4980, would automate the record clearing process for many low-level misdemeanor and felony offenses, including certain marijuana offenses, after a specified waiting period.

Other bills in the package address the amount of time one must wait prior to becoming eligible to have their records vacated and expand the number of expungements someone can receive.

Two other Senate bills, SB 681 and SB 682, which expand the ability for individuals to get their records set aside for offenses that occurred when they were a juvenile by making the process automatic, were approved by the Senate chamber. These two measures will now move to the House for consideration.

These measures, if enacted into law, will help hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents in getting misdemeanor offenses cleared from their record.

If you live in Michigan, please contact Governor Whitmer in support of these important pieces of legislation.

 

[Baron23]

Michigan May Be The Next State To Clear Cannabis Convictions


Potentially hundreds of thousands of Michiganders could soon be in line to have previous marijuana offenses expunged, thanks to a sweeping legislative package that is on the verge of becoming law.
A total of six bills are heading to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s desk after clearing the final round of approval in the legislature, and all would significantly change the criminal records of many in the state. And the effort to wipe clean the records of some who were previously busted for pot comes in the wake of Michigan voters approving a measure to legalize recreational marijuana use in 2018.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the legislative package that was approved by lawmakers includes a proposal to “create a process to streamline expungement of marijuana offenses if the activity that led to the conviction would have been legal under the recreational marijuana law.”



House Bill 4982 allows “people convicted of one or more misdemeanor marijuana offense to apply for expungement, streamlining the process,” while also providing a “rebuttable presumption that the conviction was based on activity that would not have been a crime if committed after the use of recreational marijuana by adults became legal in December 2018,” according to the Free Press.
“In challenging the application, a prosecutor would need to prove by a preponderance of evidence that the conduct would constitute a criminal violation after recreational marijuana was legalized. Courts would move to set aside convictions that are not contested after 60 days,” the newspaper explained.
Another measure, House Bill 5120, establishes “that people aggrieved by a court’s ruling on an application for marijuana expungement can request a rehearing or appeal,” according to the Free Press.
Marijuana In Michigan
Michigan voters approved Proposal 1, which made marijuana legal for adults in the state, in the 2018 midterms. It’s safe to say that residents have embraced the new law. The Detroit News reported in May that recreational pot sales had soared in the state after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the paper, sales in the nine weeks following March 9 accounted for about 60 percent of the overall cannabis sales since the program began in December of last year.
Michigan isn’t the only state in the Great Lakes region to end prohibition, and expunge records from previous marijuana offenses. Recreational marijuana was officially made legal on New Year’s Day in Illinois after the state’s governor, J.B. Pritzker, signed legislation last summer to usher in the reform. Along with permitting adults to use pot, the new law also included pardons for thousands of individuals who had previously been slapped with low-level marijuana convictions.
On New Year’s Eve, Pritzker issued 11,000 pardons, hailing it as “an end to “the 50-year-long war on cannabis,” and a restoration of “rights to tens of thousands of Illinoisans.”
Advocates celebrated the legislation in Michigan, too.
“This is a milestone in state criminal record-sealing policy that will help hundreds of thousands of people in Michigan, and help drive the national conversation on reform forward,” Safe & Just Michigan Executive Director John Cooper said, as quoted by the Detroit Free Press.

 

[momofthegoons]

​

Michigan Governor Signs Marijuana Expungements Bill As Part Of Criminal Justice Package​

The governor of Michigan signed legislation on Monday that would allow people with low-level marijuana convictions to have their records expunged. She also approved several additional bills to more generally expand the record clearing process for other types of convictions.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) held a signing ceremony for the criminal justice reform package, which she said would give more people a clean slate and prevent long-term consequences associated with having a criminal record.

The cannabis-specific bill would allow people to apply for expungements for misdemeanor marijuana convictions for activity that is no longer considered illegal since the state legalized the plant in 2018. The legislation creates a rebuttable presumption that a conviction was based on activity that would not have been a crime if committed on or after December 6, 2018, which is when the legalization law took effect. The onus would be on prosecutors to protest the expungements if they want to block them, and they would have to respond within 60 days of a person’s applying for relief.

A broader expungement bill signed by Whitmer would establish an automated record clearing process in about two and a half years. Those with misdemeanor convictions would have their cases expunged after seven years and those with felonies would have their records cleared after ten years.

“During my 2018 campaign for governor I made expungement of marijuana charges one of my key priorities, and I’m so proud today that we can follow through on that goal,” Whitmer said at a press conference. “For too long, criminal charges have created barriers to employment, barriers to housing and others for hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. These bipartisan bills are going to be a game changer.”


All six of the criminal justice reform bills were approved with strong majorities in both chambers last month. Taken together, the package is expected to impact hundreds of thousands of people.

“This is a historic day in Michigan,” the governor said in a press release. “This is also an opportunity to grow our workforce and expand access to job training and education for so many people.”

At the same time, Whitmer has faced criticism from reform advocates for declining to proactively intervene in certain marijuana cases since the state enacted legalization. State Attorney General Dana Nessel (D), for example, urged the governor to grant clemency to a 69-year-old incarcerated man who was convicted of selling cannabis more than two decades ago.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist (D), meanwhile, recently gave advice to his counterpart in Pennsylvania on how to effectively implement a legal cannabis program, emphasizing the need to remove barriers that keep people from participating in the industry.

“This anti-poverty, pro-job opportunity Clean Slate legislation will reinvigorate the economic potential of hundreds of thousands of Michiganders whose records have hindered their availability to get a job or secure housing, and it will help us grow our workforce,” Gilchrist said on Monday. “This is the right thing to do on behalf of people everywhere who deserve another chance, and will help improve livelihoods.”

When it comes to granting relief for past marijuana convictions, Michigan isn’t alone.

The governor of Vermont signed a bill last week that would automate expungements of prior cannabis records. He also allowed legislation legalizing marijuana sales in the state to become law without his signature.

Earlier this month, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) used a newly enacted law to grant nearly 3,000 pardons for people convicted of possession one ounce of less of marijuana.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), who previously pardoned more than 11,000 people for prior marijuana convictions ahead of the state’s launch of legal recreational sales earlier this year, announced last week that he plans another round of cannabis clemency in the coming months.

In June, more than 15,000 people who were convicted for low-level marijuana possession in Nevada were automatically pardoned under a resolution from the governor.

Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee (D) has also issued pardons for cannabis offenses.

 

[momofthegoons]

Detroit officials to unveil proposed law for recreational marijuana sales​

Detroit — Proposed rules for the operation of recreational marijuana shops in the city are expected to be introduced Monday, with a focus on giving priority to Detroiters.

City Councilman James Tate is set to join Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and members of the community for a news conference at City Hall to detail the long-awaited ordinance for recreational marijuana licensingthat guarantees no less than half of all licenses awarded in the city will go to legacy residents.

The program is crafted to ensure residents disproportionately affected by the nation’s failed “War on Drugs” will have an equitable opportunity to participate in the industry that's estimated to yield $3 billion in annual sales, the city said in a news release.

“We have taken the necessary time to craft legislation that is not aimed at excluding anyone from their goals to succeed in this market but to ensure that we legally provide a pathway towards inclusion and opportunity for residents of our city, which has been disproportionately impacted by marijuana convictions," Tate said in a statement.

"Many are now profiting from the same plant that has led to countless criminal convictions which devastated countless families within our city. The time has come for equity currently not present within Detroit’s cannabis industry.”

The proposal follows an initial draft last fall that Tate argued didn't go far enough to ensure opportunities and assistance programs to get residents into the business.

Tate's office convened workgroups with industry professionals and grassroots advocates to develop the social equity program component of the law and identify challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs. City officials declined to release a copy of the ordinance proposal ahead of Monday's news conference.

The licensing will cover 10 state-approved categories, including medical marihuana provisioning centers, adult-use retailer establishments, growers, processors, safety compliance facilities, temporary marihuana events, microbusinesses, designated consumption lounges and secure transporters.

The social equity program, officials said, calls for "significant reductions in application fees" for Detroiters who have lived in the city for an extended period of time, including low-income residents or those who have been convicted of past marijuana-related offenses.

The proposal also would provide discounts on certain city-owned properties that will be available for residents certified as "Legacy Detroiters," under the ordinance criteria, the release said.

“In the past, when licenses for marijuana businesses become available, they tend to go to nonresidents rather than those who live in this community,” Duggan said. “What Councilman Tate has crafted here in partnership with our Law Department ensures that longtime Detroit residents will have the opportunity to build real wealth as part of this lucrative new industry.”

Duggan in February stressed ahead of his annual State of the City Speech that Detroit would only approve recreational marijuana ordinances under a plan "where half of the businesses are owned by Detroiters."

Voters in Detroit and across the state approved a ballot proposal in November 2018 to legalize adult-use of recreational marijuana. There are 1,410 municipalities with bans to block recreational marijuana businesses from opening in their communities, according to state figures provided Thursday.

The City Council first agreed to temporarily prohibit adult-use marijuana establishments through January. Later, the council postponed the opt-out period as work on the ordinance continued. It now runs through Oct. 31.

In July 2018, the council approved a law that capped allowance to 75 sites for medical marijuana sales and laid out where they could locate. Earlier this year, Duggan said that there were about 40, and only four were owned and operated by Detroit residents.

If approved, the recreational marijuana ordinance would not affect the medical marijuana businesses operating in Detroit.

Some marijuana advocates, residents and prospective shop owners have applauded the city's efforts to set a standard for inclusion. But others have been frustrated with the delays that they argue have caused hardships.

Detroit's council approved a temporary ordinance barring recreational marijuana businesses that went into effect Nov. 12, 2019, 11 days after the state application window began.

The state's Marijuana Regulatory Agency issued the first recreational license in November. Recreational sales began Dec. 1, 2019.

Currently, 424 recreational licenses have been issued in the state, said David Harns, a spokesman for the state's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Adult-use retail sales so far total nearly $376 million, he said.

State officials have said residency requirements for licensing are decided and enforced at the local level.

 

[Bcbud]

Support The Michigan Cannabis Prisoner Release Campaign

Michigan Cannabis Prisoner Release Campaign starts with a $30,000 raise for initial legal costs, but needs your support and donations to continue the work.

cannabislifenetwork.com

 

[Baron23]

"You can urge the Michigan Parole Board to recommend Michael Thompson’s release by calling (517) 373-0270 or emailing Parole-Board-Staff@michigan.gov."

Fuck that...Gretchen needs to pardon him and get him out NOW....if she has time between getting her hair done during lockdown and positioning herself for higher office. Fuck parole. This guy has already done 25 years for 3 lbs of MJ. WTF.

Michigan Man, Michael Thompson, Seeks Parole After Decades In Prison For Nonviolent Pot Offense​

A Michigan man who has spent a quarter of a century behind bars for a nonviolent marijuana offense could see a change in his fate this week as a parole board considers his release. Michael Thompson, a native of Flint, Michigan, was convicted in 1994 of selling three pounds of marijuana to an undercover police informant.


Michael Thompson, now 69, was given a sentence of 42 to 62 years for the conviction, a term compounded by previous drug convictions and a weapons enhancement for firearms discovered when his home was raided. But the nonviolent nature of his offense coupled with the legalization of marijuana in Michigan has led to a drive to see Thompson, who isn’t technically eligible for parole until he is 87 years old, released from prison early. In January, Thompson’s attorney filed a request for commutation of his client’s sentence.

Michigan AG ‘Shocked And Horrified’ By Sentence​

It’s an effort supported by state Attorney General Dana Nessel, who wrote a letter to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in August asking that Michael Thompson’s sentence be commuted so he can be released on time served.


“Sometimes you hear something about a particular person who’s incarcerated and then once you look further, you’re like, maybe this person deserves to do a little time,” Nessel said. “But I was shocked and horrified when I looked at his sentence.”


“I have practiced law for 27 years now and I’ve never seen anything like it,” she added.






Nessel said that Michael Thompson’s sentence is akin to what would be handed down for an “especially heinous” second-degree murder conviction or one for a sexual assault involving torture. Punishment for a marijuana conviction, she said, of a bygone era.


“While technically legal, the sentence imposed on Mr. Thompson is the product of a different time in Michigan history,” Nessel wrote in the letter to Whitmer. “First, Mr. Thompson had the misfortune of having been convicted of drug offenses during a period of time when draconian drug laws were prevalent in Michigan.”

Michael Thompson; Photo from Michigan Department of Corrections’ website

Campaign Seeks Michael Thompson’s Release​

Thompson’s continued incarceration in a state where pot is now legal has attracted national attention, including from television personality and cannabis activist Montel Williams, who was arrested when a marijuana pipe was found in his possession at the Detroit airport in 2002. Williams is part of a campaign to secure the release of Thompson and other nonviolent offenders sponsored by the Last Prisoner Project, a group working to end incarceration for marijuana convictions.


“Michigan’s failure to address restorative justice as part of cannabis legalization shocks the conscience,” Williams said in a release from the group. “Governor Whitmer made a campaign promise and yet somehow, because her parole board refuses to perform its statutory duty in a timely fashion, Michael Thompson remains in a Muskegon prison, now in his 25th year behind bars for selling three pounds of cannabis to an undercover officer in a crime that hurt no one.”


“Rudi Gammo, who operated a medical dispensary in Detroit and only sold to patients with valid medical cards, is serving more than 5 years in prison. I got the celebrity treatment when I got arrested, and the disparity between my outcome and the outcomes for Michael and Rudi haunt me,” he continued. “Madam Governor, it’s long past time to empty Michigan’s prisons of non-violent cannabis offenders.”


Sarah Gersten, executive director and general counsel of the Last Prisoner Project, called on the state’s governor to act on cases like Michael Thompson’s and Gammo’s.


“Michigan is one of 13 states in this country to legalize recreational marijuana but the only one that has not provided for non-violent criminal marijuana conviction expungements or sentence commutations at the same time,” said Gersten. “Despite a campaign promise to support marijuana expungements, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has still done nothing to advance this important policy issue, and people have continued to suffer as a result.”

Parole Board Meets Tuesday​

If the parole board votes to recommend clemency for Michael Thompson, the case will be referred to Whitmer for her to decide Thompson’s fate. Nessel has said that the governor is “aware of this matter” and “taking it very seriously.”


Let’s hope so. In addition to other health problems, Michael Thompson tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this year in a prison system rife with the disease. During his time behind bars, both of Thompson’s parents and his only son have passed away. His mother’s dying wish was that Thompson would not die in prison.


You can urge the Michigan Parole Board to recommend Michael Thompson’s release by calling (517) 373-0270 or emailing Parole-Board-Staff@michigan.gov.

 

[momofthegoons]

Warren to consider settlement that would allow for marijuana dispensaries​

Marijuana dispensaries could finally be coming to Michigan's third-largest city.

Warren City Council is set to consider a settlement on Tuesday evening that would settle more than a dozen lawsuits and allow for 28 marijuana dispensaries to move forward.

At issue was a licensing process in 2019 that a Macomb County judge ruled violated the Open Meetings Act because it was not open to public view, The Detroit News reports.

There were also concerns that the proposed dispensaries would be located in residential areas or near schools, parks, libraries, and churches. The settlement would place the dispensaries in industrial or commercial zones.

Attorneys and officials said the settlement would result in a $70 million investment in the city, creating at least 300 jobs for Warren residents that will pay at least $15 per hour. The license applicants have also pledged to give back to the community in other ways, such as donating to local charities.

Even Warren Mayor James Fouts, who has opposed allowing marijuana dispensaries, had nice things to say about it.

"I have been completely left out of this by the council — this is all a council project," he said, according to The Detroit News. "But even being on the outside, it is pretty clear that there could be a lot of financial damage to the city with litigation and considerable good from some of the commitments, as well as limiting how and where they can operate."

The council will discuss the matter Tuesday at 7 p.m. during a virtual Zoom meeting. You can find out how to attend it here.

 

[momofthegoons]

Detroit OKs recreational pot ordinance that allows for consumption lounges​

Adult-use cannabis dispensaries are finally coming to Michigan's biggest city.

Detroit City Council unanimously approved an adult-use recreational marijuana ordinance on Tuesday. Not only does the new ordinance catch Detroit up with other communities in the state that have opted-in for recreational cannabis sales, but it surpasses them by allowing for designated consumption lounges — something that isn't yet offered elsewhere.

While Detroit has allowed medical marijuana dispensaries, it decided to wait to opt-in for recreational adult-use dispensaries until it could develop a social equity program meant to help those harmed by the War on Drugs, which has disproportionately impacted Black and brown people. The legislation was introduced by Councilmember James Tate.

"I am thankful for the assistance of my colleagues, the social equity workgroup, my staff as well as Mayor Duggan and his team for help in crafting such a comprehensive ordinance," Tate said in a statement. "We have taken lessons learned from other cities around the state and country that opened up the adult-use market and applied elements that we believe will help provide opportunity for those seeking to enter and succeed in the cannabis industry. We have taken major steps to address the inequities found in the city's current medical marijuana industry and included provisions that provides genuine opportunity for Detroiters to create generational wealth."

The ordinance guarantees no less than 50% of all license types will be awarded to "Detroit Legacy" applicants, who will also be given priority and lower licensing fees. Additionally, "Legacy" applicants can purchase some city-owned property at 25% of fair market value for adult-use facilities.

"Detroit Legacy" status refers to current Detroit residents who have lived in the city for at least a year prior to their license application, and have lived in Detroit for either 15 of the last 30 years, or 13 of the last 30 years and are low income, or lived in Detroit for 10 of the last 30 years and have a prior marijuana conviction.

The ordinance also mandates that at least $1 million dollars generated annually from licensing sales be used for social equity initiatives and a portion of adult-use sales taxes will also fund drug abuse programming for youth.

According to Detroit's Office of the Chief Financial Officer, the ordinance will create between $7-$8 million in new revenue for the city.

The City of Detroit Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity Department will start accepting Detroit Legacy applications for certification in January 2021 and the Building, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department will start accepting applications for adult-use licensing starting April 1, 2021. More information is available here.