City officials have sued to overturn voter-approved ordinances to expand access to dispensaries.
Detroit, a city that in recent years had to file a multi-billion dollar bankruptcy, is in danger of missing out on generating millions of dollars in taxes and fees with the legal medical marijuana industry.
As Michigan gears up to begin medical marijuana sales, including holding educational sessions around the state for those interested in the marijuana business, Detroit is something of a no-fly zone when it comes to cannabis.
An attorney who consults for the marijuana industry in Michigan told the Detroit Free Press that she has advised prospective marijuana business owners “to stay away from Detroit” out of concern the city will not soon untangle the legal knots currently surrounding regulation of medical marijuana.
A Complicated History
There’s a long history of difficulties and legal battles surrounding marijuana laws in Michigan. Approved by state voters in 2008, medical marijuana became legal in the state the following year under what is now considered a poorly written Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
How poorly written? According to one local law firm, the act failed to even make it clear that marijuana dispensaries are legal. [Read [email protected] Entrepreneur]