The results of Michigan’s local ballot proposals in November to legalize retail recreational marijuana were mixed, with about half passing, expanding the number of municipalities that allow cannabis businesses.
By the end of 2022, 129 municipalities chose to permit adult-use cannabis, and 1,378 communities opted out.
In 2018, voters approved a statewide ballot proposal that permits adult-use recreational cannabis but allows localities to opt out or pass their own regulatory policies. As a result, users and those in the industry have to navigate these differences.
The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, seeks to protect access for cannabis consumers, said Rick Thompson, the Michigan’s chapter executive director.
Following approval of the 2008 medical cannabis proposal, Thompson said public support for marijuana businesses has been uneven across Michigan.
“We do see suburban areas, for example, those areas outside of Grand Rapids and those areas outside of Detroit, that have been more eager to accept cannabis businesses than sometimes their rural counterparts,” Thompson said.
“However, it’s very surprising the number of communities in what you’d normally consider to be conservative zones, which have come on board to accept cannabis retailers, cultivation centers and other businesses,” he said.
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