Blockchain
Detroit’s City Council held a public meeting yesterday to adopt an ordinance that would extend the ban on recreational marijuana businesses until July 31, 2020. The city adopted a temporary ban on recreational marijuana businesses on September 22, 2019, which it extended on January 28, 2020 to March 31, 2020.
Earlier this month, Councilman James E. Tate Jr. sent a memo to the City Council stating that the city needed additional time to create a comprehensive social equity program. Councilman Tate is working with the Mayor’s Office, Law Department and Legislative Policy Division to get this completed by the end of July.
Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency has identified Detroit as a city that meets the Social Equity Program criteria for recreational marijuana businesses. Qualifying cities must have over 30% of its population below the federal poverty level. Under the Social Equity Program, qualifying participants may receive financial aid and help with the application.
Partners in the Social Equity Program will help qualifying participants complete the social equity and recreational facility applications. The state will also provide a discounted application fee. A social equity applicant must, however, retain majority ownership in the business.
Detroit enacted its medical marijuana ordinance in March 2018. The city currently has 75 medical marijuana facilities that serve 673,104 residents. The city stopped accepting applications for provisioning centers in October 2018.