Michigan Dispensary Operators Charged Criminally

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Five men who were arrested last summer when a medical cannabis dispensary was raided by local police have now been formally charged, and could each face more than a decade in prison.

When Advance Medical Care in Shelby Township was raided last July, it wasn’t immediately clear if criminal charges would be pressed. Now they have been, with all five workers facing multiple counts of delivery of marijuana, possession with intent to deliver, and conspiracy. If convicted, each of the defendants could be sentenced to four years per charge, according to MLive.com.

The incident again underscores how volatile the cannabis business can be in states such as Michigan, which has no clear statewide regulations. Dispensaries still remain technically illegal because lawmakers have not been able to pass a bill legalizing them, even though dispensaries operate in the open in many cities and counties, including Detroit and Ann Arbor.

Indeed, law enforcement raids against dispensaries went on through most of last year, and will likely continue in areas that aren’t as friendly to cannabis businesses.