Michigan legal cannabis Archives - The Real Dirt with Chip Baker

Detroit to finally permit recreational cannabis sales

by Travis C | Apr 7, 2022 | 420 News, Blog, Business, Cannabis Business, Cannabis Law, Cannabis Law and Compliance, Cannabis News, Industry News, Legalization, Politics

Detroit cannabis sales to be allowed now.

Four years after legalization and following several months of hurdles, recreational cannabis will finally be available in Detroit soon.

Detroit’s City Council voted 8-1 on April 5 to allow the sale of adult-use cannabis to begin in the city. City Council president James Tate, a sponsor of the legislation, has said that the new ordinance will be equity-driven with a focus on assisting minority Detroiters to become business owners.

“This is providing the best opportunity possible for equity applicants and Legacy Detroiters to compete for these licenses,” Tate said recently at a public hearing on the ordinance. “For me, it’s important for us to strategically go in and identify how this industry can and should go in Detroit” instead of a more “shotgun” approach where whoever wants a license gets one.

This ordinance will have a major impact on the Michigan cannabis industry. Being the largest city in the state, Detroit has been missing out on millions in tax revenue that other cities have been collecting.

The state brought in nearly $250 million in tax revenue in 2021 without Detroit’s help. Over five million citizens live within the Detroit city limits, making up over half of the state’s entire population.

To say that recreational cannabis in Detroit will have an impact on the statewide industry would be a massive understatement.

According to Michael Elias, CEO of Michigan-based cannabis company Common Citizen, the passage of the adult-use ordinance is a “monumental win for Michigan’s largest city” and “will help create new job opportunities and contribute to the Motor City’s ongoing comeback.”

“This is a huge milestone for Detroiters and those in surrounding communities who have been seeking access to adult-use cannabis since voters approved recreational cannabis in 2018. At Common Citizen, we look forward to providing our safe, high-quality cannabis products to adult-use customers in addition to our patients at our Detroit location,” he added, in conversation with Benzinga.

Michigan Cannabis Recall May Affect $200M In Cannabis Products

by Travis C | Nov 19, 2021 | Blog, Business, Cannabis Business, Cannabis Law and Compliance, Cannabis News, Growing, Industry News, Legalization, Science & Technology

Michigan cannabis regulatory agency has recalled products impacting 400 retail locations across the state

In the largest product recall since the state legalized cannabis in 2019, the Michigan cannabis regulatory agency (Marijuana Regulatory Agency) has recalled enough products to impact over 400 retail locations around the state.

While the exact amount of products that are being recalled hasn’t been specified, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) recalled all marijuana flower product that passed safety testing at Viridis Laboratories between Aug. 10 and Nov. 16. The agency released a full list of all locations impacted by the recall after calling lab test results “inaccurate and/or unreliable” in a notice issued just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday November 17, but provided no further explanation.

The recall Michigan cannabis recall only impacts flower products

“While we strongly disagree with this decision and firmly stand by our test results, we are fully cooperating with the MRA and working closely with our customers to minimize interruptions and retest affected products at no cost,” Viridis said in a prepared statement. “We have been cleared to continue testing at both of our state-of-the-art facilities. We look forward to continuing to serve our amazing customers using the best, most cutting-edge scientific methods available so we can fulfill our mission of promoting the health and safety of patients and adult-use consumers.”

According to a notice sent out by the MRA, customers who have the recalled product should return it to the retailer they purchased it from “for proper disposal.” “Consumers with weakened immune systems or lung disease are at the highest risk for health-related incidents such as aspergillosis, which can impact lung function, if these potentially harmful products are consumed,” the agency said Wednesday evening.

All Michigan cannabis products are required to have safety labels that contain the date product passed testing and the lab where it was tested. Viridis Laboratories, founded by former Michigan state police forensic scientists, operates labs in Bay City and Lansing. The license identification numbers for Viridis labs that should appear on labels are: “SC-000009, AU-SC-000113″ and “SC-000014, AU-SC-000103.”

The MRA is giving retailers holding the defective product three options: destroy the product and send the agency proof, resubmit the products for testing, or send the products back to the original source to be retested as part of a larger batch.

Ann Arbor dispensary to open Michigan’s first cannabis consumption lounge

by The Real Dirt | May 10, 2021 | 420 Culture & Travel, 420 News, Blog, Business, Cannabis Law, Cannabis Law and Compliance, Culture, Legalization

Michigan cannabis consumption lounge approved in Ann Arbor

An Ann Arbor dispensary is venturing into recreational cannabis’ next frontier: consumption lounges.

According to WXYZ 7 Action News, Holistic Industries, which operates Liberty Provisioning Center, have announced plans to open a cannabis consumption lounge adjacent to the dispensary at 338 S. Ashley Street.

“We’re thrilled to bring Michigan’s first cannabis consumption lounge to Ann Arbor and create a one-of-a-kind experience for the many people in Ann Arbor who agree that life is better with cannabis,” a spokesperson shared with WXYZ. “By providing a safe, designated space for consumption, we are helping remove some of the potential roadblocks cannabis patients and customers face after they purchase products and want to consume them.”

Liberty Provisioning Center opened last summer and services recreational clients and medical marijuana patients. Despite 2018’s legalization of recreational weed in Michigan, neighboring businesses are concerned that a consumption lounge — which is exactly as it sounds like: a commercial space where adults are legally allowed to consume cannabis on-site — could pose a threat to the community.

Sherry Doughty, who operates a Montessori school just a few hundred feet from the proposed site of the consumption lounge, is among those community members who remain skeptical.

“We don’t want them using the playground as a place to party,” Doughty told WXYZ. “If people will be milling around outdoors and if that will impact our staff and our children.” A local therapist who operates his business out of a house close to the dispensary and the yet-to-open lounge is also wary even though he supports legal cannabis.

“I don’t want a bunch of potheads walking around acting like a bunch of fools, would you?” Ken Land said. “If they get out of line, I’ll get crabby. But if they don’t, live and let live.”

Read Full Story from Detroit Metro Times

Michigan Marijuana is Legal But You Can’t Buy It Anywhere

by Travis C | Dec 13, 2018 | 420, 420 News, Blog, Business, Growing

Michigan marijuana is now legal for adults to consume and grow. But where can they buy it?

The answer is nowhere. Michigan marijuana is legal for adults to grow, consume, and even “gift” to one another now. Yet there isn’t a single dispensary plan in place yet.

This may read similar to another article I wrote regarding Massachusetts legalization. They had a similar problem establishing a legal marketplace for consumers. While Massachusetts has finally opened two dispensaries for the entire state after two years of legalization, Michigan is poised to move more quickly.

Michigan Marijuana Laws

While Michigan has legalized cannabis for adult use, I wouldn’t go packing your bag for a vacation to the Great Lakes quite yet. Adults can grow 12 of their own plants (twice as many as Colorado) and possess up to 10 ounces in their homes. There’s a line in Proposition 1 that allows adults to “purchase” recreational cannabis. But there is none to buy.

Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont all did something similar. All these states have legalized cannabis for adults, but have no market to legally purchase cannabis. Basically, because of poorly written laws, these states have given a free pass to private market businesses.

Not Getting Stuck

The Michigan marijuana market is ahead of the curve, even if just slightly. Proposition 1 included a mandatory deadline for establishing a regulated market.

A year from now, a plan should be approved and in place to begin legal sales of recreational cannabis in Michigan. An additional rider was included that allows people to apply for licensing directly through the municipality. This acts as an assurance that the local governments stay on track.

To elaborate, Massachusetts had no such deadline or rider in place to ensure a timely roll out of a regulated marketplace. Because of this, local municipalities that did not approve of the state’s decision could refuse applications simply on the basis of not wanting legal cannabis in their town.

Michigan’s rider in Proposition 1 will guarantee that local governments don’t stand in the way of legalization. So while Maine’s governor fights legalization tooth and nail, and Vermont has no plans for a legal market yet, Michigan is already planning ahead.

A Big Step For Cannabis

Michigan is the first Midwestern state to legalize cannabis for adult use. Other states in the region will certainly be watching to see how the market turns out.

For now, however, state residents craving some fresh Michigan marijuana will either have to grow it themselves or buy it on the private market. So for now — even though cannabis is legal — unless you’re growing it, you’re still breaking the law in Michigan. Hopefully that changes soon!