Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is now accepting applications for medical cannabis cultivators, processors, transporters, dispensaries, and testing laboratories. Interested businesses and individuals can apply online or in-person.
The agency has released an application instruction booklet to help candidates navigate the process, which includes background checks, and a $6,000 application fee.
“Designing and implementing the regulatory framework for this new industry has been a year-long effort by the entire Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation team. We are ready to accept applications by the deadline set in statute. There are several user-friendly application methods that prospective licensees can utilize. We look forward to administering fair and efficient regulations for business customers while ensuring that medical marihuana patients are protected.” LARA Director Shelly Edgerton, in a press release
The department hosted a series of education sessions on the new regime to prepare would-be operators in November.
The new licenses migrate the state’s medical cannabis program from a so-called “gray market” to a more comprehensive and regulated regime. Gov. Rick Snyder signed the reform package into law last September. Under the original voter-approved 2008 law, medical cannabis was deemed legal, but dispensaries were not explicitly permitted, leaving them open to crackdowns by law enforcement.