Two medical marijuana dispensaries in Detroit have recently made the first recreational cannabis sales in the city. This is a significant milestone for the cannabis industry in Detriot, as the path leading up to recreational sales has been lengthy and met with many delays.
The Journey Leading Up To Recreational Sales
Voters in Michigan approved Proposal 18-1, which legalized recreational marijuana use in November 2018. More than a year later, in December 2019, the first state-licensed sales began. However, the first delay came when the preference to be given to legacy Detroit residents halted the process.
Early last year, the City Council of Detroit passed an ordinance to allow the sale of recreational cannabis, and it took effect on April 20, 2022. The ordinance came after a federal judge decided that the law passed in 2020 was “possibly unconstitutional” as it had a strong preference for long-standing Detroit residents. The ordinance, which came after nearly a year of litigation, facilitates the inclusion of communities previously disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition into the industry.
Doghouse Farms were the first to be granted a recreational grow license which upset residents in the city as they are from Oregon with a facility in Detroit. The ordinance limits the number of retailers that can receive a license but doesn’t have a limit in place for cultivation. This could potentially create an issue where more cannabis is grown than can be sold.
The City of Detroit’s Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship began accepting license applications from September 1 through October 1, 2022. The first recreational sales were made by two medical dispensaries, House of Dank and DaCut, that were granted licenses to sell for adult use.
There have been several delays along the way, but Detroit residents can now purchase recreational marijuana from local dispensaries instead of going outside of city limits. The new development is also a big win for the retailers with approved licenses, and the city also stands to gain from the revenue made by the cannabis industry. Enjoyed that first hit? Come chill with us every week at the Friday Sesh for a freshly packed bowl of the week’s best cannabis news!
