Town managers say the businesses are poised to boost strained budgets. And school and law enforcement officials contend there is little evidence to date the marijuana economy is bringing more crime or drug abuse to main street.
Michigan marijuana
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Why It's time to legalize cannabis for all Americans
Just one year after taking effect, it’s estimated Michigan’s adult-use cannabis market once fully matured will generate $3 billion in retail sales and create about 24,000 total jobs annually.
Posted inMichigan Government
Pot businesses join Michigan GOP in opposing labor pacts with workers
A debate over marijuana industry rules made unlikely bedfellows of the state’s new marijuana industry and conservative politicians and business groups that had opposed recreational pot.
Posted inMichigan Government
Along Michigan-Ohio border, small-town Morenci is transformed by marijuana
Once a frontier town dominated by agriculture, Morenci now finds itself on a new frontier, with the scent of pot wafting through its streets. Despite reluctance from “conservative farm folks,” most support the financial boost the industry has brought.
Posted inMichigan Government
Pontiac thought it could handle marijuana. It’s caused confusion and delays.
More than a year after Pontiac voters approved medical marijuana businesses, investors are still waiting as politicians squabble. The delays could be a cautionary tale as retail recreational pot becomes legal in Michigan on Dec. 1.
Posted inMichigan Government
Why easy access to recreational marijuana is taking so long in Michigan
Recreational marijuana sales are set to begin on Dec. 1, but shortages and few licensed shops mean options will be limited.
Posted inMichigan Government
A year after pot became legal, Michigan still months away from retail sales
A supply shortage and regulatory hurdles means recreational pot sales aren’t likely until February or March. And two-thirds of all Michigan municipalities have already passed rules saying ‘not in our town.’
Posted inMichigan Government
Residents in these Michigan cities said yes to pot. Their leaders said no.
Fourteen towns heavily burdened by marijuana convictions voted to legalize recreational pot last year. But city officials put the brakes on opening a marijuana business, at least for now.
Posted inGuest Commentary
Opinion | Marijuana retail bans stunt Michigan's economic growth
Shutting out the legal adult-use cannabis industry only drives revenue, talent and opportunity out of the state. The jobs associated with the cannabis industry will certainly still exist; they just won’t exist in Michigan if local bans persist.
Posted inMichigan Government
Michigan House considers expungement of marijuana, traffic convictions
The package would make hundreds of thousands more Michiganders eligible to set aside criminal records. Some Democrats question why they don’t automatically set aside lesser pot convictions, rather than requiring people to petition a court.