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Wednesday, April 13, 2016

How to Open a Marijuana Care Center in the City of Detroit – State of the Bud Report

By Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst


       Starting a Medical Marijuana Business in Detroit has been made much easier because of the work of CIO Beth Niblock and Department of Innovation Technology Director Chuck Dodd. Detroit is leading the way in Information Technology in the State of Michigan. The City of Detroit is the ONLY municipality in State and Local Government that has a true Marijuana Information System that can handle documents including pictures in *.jpg format.   

To start a Marijuana based business in Detroit you must follow these steps:

1. Begin 
2. Find a legal* location and; purchase the building or, pay rent to the owner of the property. 
3.  Fill out a Marihuana Application on the City of Detroit’s website
               a.       If you are approved then you can pay your $1160 fee by clicking here
4.  Fill out a Building Permit Application on the City of Detroit’s website 
5.  Fill out a Board of Zoning Appeals
               a.      If approved pay $1200 by clicking here then skip to step 6
               b.      If Denied then for $1500 dollars you can appeal your BSEED denial
                                        i.      If denied appeal to the Wayne County Circuit court and skip to step 6.
6.      Apply for a Business License Application (under construction as of 4/13/2016)
7.      End.

The Cost of Doing Business With Marijuana in the City of Detroit
Site Plan Review
(Due Upon Filing)
$160
Conditional Land Use Hearing
(Due Upon Filing)
$1000
Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing(s)
$1200  Variance
$1500  BSEED Denial (if necessary)
Building Permit or Change of Use: 
Based on the cost of the construction.
$150  Minimum
Business License Application
To Be Developed

From Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones:
Council President
Brenda Jones
“At this time no one has been granted a license to operate and no zoning variances have been granted. 66% of the current applicants do not live in the City of Detroit. Out of the 195 applications 74 of them are in drug-free zones. The City Assessors office is currently conducting real time analysis to confirm the validity of the current drug free zones.”





While the Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform withdrew their lawsuit (Case# 16-004185-AW Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform v Janice Winfrey, Detroit Election Commission, City of Detroit), the Sons of Hemp has filed another one against the Detroit’s Marijuana ordinance (Case No. 16-004201-CZ JONES, RONALD, ET AL. V THE CITY OF DETROIT). This is a group of homegrown longtime Detroit residents who own businesses that are severely impacted by this ordinance. They position is that this ordinance discriminates against native Detroit residents of color and the religious beliefs of their membership. With help from the Wayne County Circuit Court, this ordinance could be modified to remove some of the most heinous restrictions like being 1000 feet from an empty church and, a money losing golf course for example.

Another restriction is the rule of Medible Marijuana that allows haters of Detroit to promote the idea that people will be getting their doors kicked in because of brownies and medicated butter on Grits or Hash Browns, Eggs with Toast and a Sausage.  This is a provision in the ordinance that can be eliminated because the people promoting this idea have stockpiled their Medible Marijuana in places like Allen Park and Ferndale and use this to drive business to their locations by bashing the City leadership and its residents.  

Johnson Recreation Center
Closed
Some of the churches and day care centers listed in the City’s database do not exist and in District 2, the long closed Johnson Recreation Center on Cherrylawn and Chippewa, and the School next to the rec center is being used to shut down marijuana businesses on 8 Mile Road.  Owners of these businesses are strongly urged to appeal this to the Board of Zoning and Wayne County Circuit Court.  Shutting down businesses on bad data is a bad deal for everyone because it is removing taxpaying businesses unfairly and without malice.





No injunction has been granted as of yet however and, the City is currently taking applications for Marijuana Caregiver Centers.  Potential owners must have a site plan and $1160 dollars down to reserve your location within City Limits.


If your potential property is located on the border in the City of Detroit, and schools in parks are across the street from your location in another city, (Warren, Ferndale, Dearborn, Grosse Pointe (all), Redford, et al) their property has no bearing on your City of Detroit application. Meanwhile court proceedings will address the challenges by owners and, BSEED inspections will continue. 

3 comments:

Friends of George Cushingberry said...

After further review, the Detroit Medical Marijuana Ordinance should be suspended and rewritten to reflect the true attitude of the people who are patients.

Shop owners who love Detroit are strongly encouraged to change this ordinance because it forcing Detroit residents to drive to Ann Arbor, Allen Park, Ferndale, and other cities to get their medicine. These provisions were put in by interests who want to drive business to their shops with Detroit residents money. Business owners are being encouraged by outstate law firms to walk away from these places in Detroit and let them be abandoned again. These shop owners were paying property taxes to the City and, this would be a major loss of revenue for everyone.

There are certain lawyers and law firms who are threatening shop owners that do business with more that six people that they will be dropped as clients if they do business in Detroit. The same law firms support these same owners if they do business with more than six people in other cities and towns in Michigan like Lansing, Ann Arbor, Allen Park, Hamtrammck, and Highland Park.

Abandoned Churches, and neighborhood Day Care Centers can never ever generate the revenue than a Medical Marijuana facility can. Some of these places of worship and drug stores like CVS are in Drug Free zones also. Should special rules be created for these businesses?

When it comes to Children and Medical Marijuana businesses, NO child's behind has every been molested at one of these places. The same cannot be said for Schools or Churches regarding the safety of children. Furthermore there is overwhelming evidence that crime goes down around these facilities because of the security and safety.

Making people smoke Marijuana that cannot inhale smoke because of their medical condition is an immoral act of foolishness decided by people who are uniquely un-qualified to make that kind of decision. Therefore, Detroit residents must rise up, speak up, and demand that people be allowed to eat medibles in Detroit just like in other cities in Michigan. This includes pre-rolled joints, and other things that businesses in Cities outside of Detroit can sell.

Make the House of Representatives remember in August and November to change the law in Lansing in 2016.

Anonymous said...

In order to convince Detroit residences about having Medical Marijuana Centers in our neighborhood, we need to see data along with your words. What website can we go to that show evidence that, No child has ever been molested, rob or hurt, that crime goes down, that these facilities have security and are safe for our community.

And as far as CVS, when I walk past these stores, I do not smell marijuana in the air. Some residence homes are located near these facilities. In the summertime these residence smell marijuana all the time. No community wants to see Medical Marijuana Centers every 3 to 4 blocks. How many of these owners live in our community? Also, with all the new businesses opening in downtown Detroit, where are the Medical Marijuana Centers?

Friends of George Cushingberry said...

Interested Business Owners and Patients:

Drug Free Zones in other cities adjoining Detroit (Ferndale along 8 Mile Road for example) have no bearing on your application and should be fought in Wayne County Circuit Court. This Ordinance only applies to the City of Detroit.

If you are a patient that cannot smoke your medicine and, are in need of edible medible Marijuana, you are strongly encouraged to Contact your City Council representative and pursue a denial of safe access lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court. A Judge has the ability to stay the provisions of the ordinance because that is denying you equal safe access.