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.
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.
