The Detroit City Council finally signed off on a long-awaited local ordinance to kick-start the municipality’s adult-use marijuana industry.
The business licensing process is scheduled to commence on April 20, the unofficial marijuana holiday.
According to the Detroit Free Press, there will be no caps on licenses for cultivators and processors, and businesses seeking those licenses will be allowed to start submitting applications on 4/20.
However, a maximum of 100 retail licenses will be issued during an application window that might not begin for an additional 100 days, the Detroit Metro Times reported.
Also, half of the retail permits will be reserved for social equity applicants.
Applications for consumption lounges also won’t be accepted immediately, and it’s unclear when that window might open, though it’s expected to be within 100 days of April 20, the Free Press reported.
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Though Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana in 2018 and sales began in 2019, the ballot initiative gave localities the right to opt out of the industry.
Detroit, the largest city in Michigan, has been slow to pass an implementation bill to launch its new industry after a federal court ruling that the municipality’s initial law was “likely unconstitutional” because it favored local residents.
