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Marijuana Shops Close December 15 or Risk Not Getting License

After both medical and recreational marijuana were legalized this year's crop of Lansing city council candidates are tasked with taking a position on the future of marijuana in the city.
Reginald Hardwick
/
WKAR Public Media

Medical marijuana users who buy from dispensaries will need to find a new source by December 15th. Cheyna Roth reports.

Dispensaries have been open for awhile in Michigan. But the state is just now gearing up to license them. And it says any shop that wants to operate legally needs to close by mid-December – or risk being denied a license.

Andrew Brisbo is with the Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation. He says that’s only fair.

“Set a level playing field at the initiation of this program to implement so that we are evaluating all applicants against the same criteria." Brisbo says.

Dispensary owners and medical marijuana patients say closing shops will be bad for patient health. The board is expected to start issuing licenses in 20-18. 

Before becoming the newest Capitol reporter for Michigan Public Radio Network, Cheyna Roth was an attorney. She spent her days fighting it out in court as an assistant prosecuting attorney for Ionia County.
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