The Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs announced it is extending the deadly for medical marijuana business applicants until Sept. 15, 2018. The original deadline was June 15.
Up until now medical marijuana related-businesses have operated in a gray area. In most cases, the businesses had permission to run from municipalities, but the state of Michigan wasn’t allowing it. It sounds confusing, but it’s much like a local version of states that allow marijuana while it remains illegal on a Federal level.
“Folks who were operating before this law were operating with local authorization, not state authorization,” said David Harns, a spokesperson for Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). “We made allowances so we wouldn’t cause an impediment to their licensure as long as they had approval at the local level to operate.”
If a business wasn't licensed by June 15, they shouldn't be open per the new Michigan rules. Now, they have until Sept. 15.
Businesses were required to apply earlier this year, but none have been licensed due to the lengthy background checks and financial paperwork regulators have to complete for each business.
“Extending the deadline to September 15 will make sure that this law is implemented correctly and assure that potential licensees are thoroughly reviewed," LARA Director Shelly Edgerton said in a release. "It is important that we ensure that medical marihuana patients have continued access to their medicine."
The new rules also include clarifying language about safety standards that LARA disseminated through technical advisories.
