Ryan Allway
April 15th, 2019
While recreational marijuana use legalized in Michigan in 2018, legal frameworks are not expected to be complete until 2020. The state has had a medical marijuana landscape in place since 2008 however, so a thriving dispensary scene is already in place. In this article, we will look at the prevalence of cannabis use in Michigan and its potential future market, the laws governing use and possession, the impact of legalization there on the Midwest region, and then round up a partial list of current dispensaries and resources.
The Michigan Marijuana Market
When adult recreational use passed in Michigan, the law gave local jurisdictions the choice over whether they want the legal cannabis industry to operate in their town or not. More than 130 different local communities have passed ordinances that allow medical marijuana businesses to operate in Michigan, meaning a robust market is already established. Although more than 400 cities opted out or have not established the legality of cannabis, most people in Michigan are located close enough to a legalized municipality to make purchasing cannabis products easy.
According to the Lansing Business Review, Michigan has the potential to become the third largest medical marijuana market in the country, behind California and Colorado. In 2018, nearly 250,000 medical marijuana patients were registered in the state, and with adult recreational use now legalized the number of consumers is expected to fly through the roof. Regulated recreational stores are expected to open in 2020.
Medical Marijuana Laws in Michigan
The Michigan Compassionate Care Initiative was passed in 2008, making it the 13th state to legalize cannabis in the USA. While adult recreational use was decriminalized in 2018, many towns already had decriminalization laws on the books. The university town of Anne Arbor passed an ordinance in 1972 for example, which made them a pioneer of marijuana legalization not just in the United States but around the world. This has greatly contributed to the later legalization pushes and the widespread cannabis culture that is active in Michigan at the present.
Personal possession and cultivation are now legal for all adults over the age of 21 in Michigan, which is the second most populous state to have passed adult recreational use laws. Possession is limited to 2.5 ounces and cultivation is limited to 12 plants although up to 10 ounces may be possessed by each individual if it is stored under lock and key. Marijuana is also an approved medicinal substance for over two dozen different qualifying conditions and patients can receive herb from a qualified caregiver.
The Impact of Michigan’s Legalization on the Midwest Region
Michigan is the first state in the MidWest region to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use, meaning that it will affect the entire area. Also the most populous state in the Midwest, Michigan stands to become a model for marijuana legalization and pave the way for other states to pass similar legislation, according to a recent article in High Times Magazine. In the meantime, consumers from other MidWest states in order to purchase cannabis products legally, which will be an economic boon to the cannabis economy.
States like Illinois and Missouri already have medicinal marijuana programs in place, and the passage of recreational use in Michigan will surely encourage them and others to follow suit. The entire midwest is expected to be a major player in the multi-billion dollar cannabis industry with sales in Michigan alone projected to reach nearly 900 million dollars by 2015. Illinois recently passed a groundbreaking “Opioids Bill” which allows patients to trade in their opioid-based medications for cannabis instead. If and when this program is extended across the Midwest region daily cannabis use will become a norm for millions of people.
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in Michigan
Adult recreational vendors are projected to open in 2020, but right now these are just some of the medicinal marijuana dispensaries that have been in operation since the Compassionate Care Initiative was passed in 2008. Here is a partial list of dispensaries found in the two main markets, Detroit and Anne Arbor, taken from Potguide.com, visit them for a complete list of all dispensaries in Michigan.
Detroit
11999 Gratiot Ave Detroit, MI 48213(313) 284-3063
20561 Dwyer St Detroit, MI 48234(313) 733-6006
19709 W Seven Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48219(313) 766-5662
2540 Rosa Parks Blvd Detroit, MI 48216(313) 450-1400
21651 W Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48219(313) 693-4564
2101 W Lafayette Blvd Ste 106 Detroit, MI 48216(313) 265-3740
21221 8 Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48219(313) 977-9911
14239 Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48219(888) 420-2790
7304 Michigan Ave Detroit, MI 48210(313) 254-9468
24600 W McNichols Rd Detroit, MI 48219(313) 977-9027
15308 Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48205(313) 466-3366
3340 Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48234(313) 305-4040
3600 E Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48234(313) 733-4158
14917 Gratiot Ave Ste B Detroit, MI 48205(313) 264-1999
10 E 8 Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48203(313) 707-0903
18334 W Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48228(313) 914-2319
15837 Mack Ave Detroit, MI 48224(313) 885-0000
20101 W Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48219(248) 470-4638
19533 W Warren Ave Detroit, MI 48228(313) 266-7738
6650 E Eight Mile Rd Detroit, MI 48234(313) 826-1479
19154 James Couzens Fwy Detroit, MI 48235(313) 340-9202
6541 E Lafayette St Detroit, MI 48207(313) 332-0544
Anne Arbor
Ann Arbor Health Patient Collective
3060 Packard St Ann Arbor, MI 48108(734) 929-5645
321 E Liberty St Ann Arbor, MI 48104(734) 929-2602
1818 Packard St Ann Arbor, MI 48104(734) 213-1420
423 Miller Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48103(734) 585-0621
3820 Varsity Dr Ann Arbor, MI 48108(734) 494-0772
700 Tappan Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 845-2172
603 E William St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 780-7018
2793 Plymouth Rd Ste K
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 800-4194
112 S Main St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 369-8255
People’s Choice Alternative Medicine
2245 W Liberty St
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 369-8573
2730 Jackson Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
(734) 369-3212
Marijuana Advocacy Organizations and Resources in Michigan
Michigan NORML – minorml.org
Americans for Safe Access, Michigan Chapter – www.safeaccessnow.org/michigan_advocacy
The Detroit Free Press Marijuana Coverage – www.freep.com/news/marijuana/
About Ryan Allway
Mr. Allway has over a decade of experience in the financial markets as both a private investor and financial journalist. He has been actively involved in the cannabis industry since its inception, covering public and private companies.
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