Detroit to finally permit recreational cannabis sales
Four years after legalization and following several months of hurdles, recreational cannabis will finally be available in Detroit soon.
Detroit’s City Council voted 8-1 on April 5 to allow the sale of adult-use cannabis to begin in the city. City Council president James Tate, a sponsor of the legislation, has said that the new ordinance will be equity-driven with a focus on assisting minority Detroiters to become business owners.
“This is providing the best opportunity possible for equity applicants and Legacy Detroiters to compete for these licenses,” Tate said recently at a public hearing on the ordinance. “For me, it's important for us to strategically go in and identify how this industry can and should go in Detroit” instead of a more “shotgun” approach where whoever wants a license gets one.
This ordinance will have a major impact on the Michigan cannabis industry. Being the largest city in the state, Detroit has been missing out on millions in tax revenue that other cities have been collecting.
The state brought in nearly $250 million in tax revenue in 2021 without Detroit’s help. Over five million citizens live within the Detroit city limits, making up over half of the state’s entire population.
To say that recreational cannabis in Detroit will have an impact on the statewide industry would be a massive understatement.
According to Michael Elias, CEO of Michigan-based cannabis company Common Citizen, the passage of the adult-use ordinance is a “monumental win for Michigan’s largest city” and “will help create new job opportunities and contribute to the Motor City’s ongoing comeback.”
“This is a huge milestone for Detroiters and those in surrounding communities who have been seeking access to adult-use cannabis since voters approved recreational cannabis in 2018. At Common Citizen, we look forward to providing our safe, high-quality cannabis products to adult-use customers in addition to our patients at our Detroit location,” he added, in conversation with Benzinga.