There’s a lot of pissed off people in Detroit right now after city officials agreed to pause processing medical marijuana business applications.
It was on Tuesday that the moratorium was approved by City Council and came two days after Michigan’s deadline for existing businesses to turn in applications to gain local approval.
Without this local approval by the deadline, the facilities will most likely be denied a chance at getting a license under the new law.
According to Detroit Corporation Counsel Lawrence Garcia, it is premature to process those applications without a final decision on a lawsuit. There is a lawsuit that has challenged medical marijuana voter initiatives passed by city residents last November.
“We can’t process them without knowing what the rules are. And the rules are in flux,” said Garcia.
The moratorium still has to be signed off by Mayor Mike Duggan and it would be effective for 180 days. It would prohibit all departments from accepting or approving applications for medical marijuana permits from facilities.
“The city’s resolution says, “It would be against public policy for the city to issue any such licenses or permits until after the validity of the initiatives has been determined and after City Council has had the opportunity to adopt new ordinances regulating the licensing and zoning of such businesses.”
