The State of Michigan is hosting a series of workshops for residents interested in the business of legal marijuana.
A meeting held Monday at Detroit’s Coleman A. Young Municipal Center is one of a series planned in 19 urban ares across the state identified as having been “disproportionally impacted” by pot prohibition in the past.
Andrew Brisbo, Executive Director of the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA), said the point isn’t exactly to promote the industry, but rather:
“We’re providing these resources to people who are interested in getting into the industry so we can help them assure compliance, if they choose to take that approach,” he told WWJ Newsradio 950’s Jon Hewett.
Among the offerings: Legal advice and cost breaks in license and application fees for those who qualify.
“It’s a highly regulated field, so for a lot of these individuals that have achieved licensure say in the medical space, it’s required them to have the services of attorneys and accountants to help them set up their business and help them to remain compliant,” Brisbo said. “So in these disproportionally impacted communities, we want to provide those services directly from the agency to those participants to help defray and reduce some of that cost of getting in, if they should choose to do that.”
Among those at Monday’s meeting was Juan of Detroit, a medical marijuana caregiver. Is he thinking about opening a shop of his own?
“Absolutely. Especially when they’re giving reduced rates and whatnot; absolutely.”
Monday’s ‘Social Equity Program Education and Outreach Session’ in Detroit was the first of many planned in Ecorse, Hamtramck, Inkster, Flint, Pontiac, River Rouge, Ypsilanti and other communities. For more information about the program, including about further outreach sessions and how to apply, visit this link.