Michigan won’t close unlicensed marijuana dispensaries before Dec. 31

Medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to continue operating while they wait for a state license until at least Dec. 31 under an agreement reached Tuesday.

Since September, the state has been trying to shut down the dispensaries that have been operating under temporary emergency rules while they wait for a license from the state. But the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs has been thwarted by a combination of court rulings and the desire to make sure that enough dispensaries are licensed around the state to supply the nearly 300,000 medical marijuana cardholders.

As dispensaries have either gotten licenses or been denied a license, the number of unlicensed dispensaries that are operating has dropped from more than 200 to 98, said Andrew Brisbo, director of the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. There are 40 medical marijuana dispensaries that have received a state license.

The City of Lansing was one of the plaintiffs in a case to stop the latest dispensary shutdown deadline on Oct. 31. The city has been vetting applications for 25 dispensary licenses and hopes to begin granting approvals for those dispensaries this week. [Read more at Detroit Free Press]