The state of Michigan’s cannabis industry
With recreational cannabis businesses opening all across the state, the city of Detroit is just starting its experiment with retail shops.
We’re now about three years into Michigan’s experiment with legal recreational marijuana. Recreational cannabis retailers now exist all across the state.
But in Detroit, which had been a major hub for medical marijuana dispensaries, the embrace of marijuana retail stores is just beginning.
“It’s been a long journey to get to this point.” — Detroit City Council President Pro Tem James Tate
Earlier this month, Detroit City Council adopted an ordinance that opens the door for these shops and puts rules in place for where they can operate. Parts of that new law go into effect Wednesday, which happens to be 4/20.
Listen: How Michigan’s experiment with marijuana legalization is going in 2022.
Guests
Detroit City Council President Pro Tem James Tate represents District 1 in Detroit. He spearheaded the city’s new ordinance allowing and regulating recreational cannabis businesses.
“It’s been a long journey to get to this point,” says Tate. “There’s a balance that we have to maintain as we venture into this new industry in the city of Detroit,” he says, noting residents who voted for full legalization in 2018 don’t necessarily want a retail shop in their neighborhood.
Robin Schnieder is the executive director of the Michigan Cannabis Industry Association. She also helped lead the campaign to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018.
“Over the last 6 months we witnessed the wholesale prices of cannabis dropping rapidly from where they were the prior year,” says Schneider, saying the supply has increased due to the state’s approval of more retail licenses. “We’ll probably see some of our highest sales number come in July…We expect to see an increase in sales.”
Related: Detroit City Council considers new framework for recreational marijuana
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