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A6 U.S. NEWS
Friday 29 November 2019
Michigan, Illinois set to usher in recreational pot sales

By DAVID EGGERT and Illinois lawmakers said they
KATHLEEN FOODY expected a slow start. Their
Associated Press long-term goals, though,
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) hinge on parts of the law in-
— James Daly is eager to tended to ensure people of
make marijuana history color can open and work
on Sunday, when he plans for marijuana businesses
to open the doors to Ar- despite historic inequities in
bors Wellness, beckon the enforcement of state and
lengthy line outside and federal drug laws.
legally start selling recre- The law includes a scoring
ational pot for the first time bonus during the license-
in the Midwest. award process for social
"We've worked very hard equity applicants — peo-
to be prepared," said Daly, ple living in communities
who owns the medical most affected by enforce-
dispensary that, for now, ment of marijuana laws, or
is among just six shops in individuals arrested for or
Michigan — mostly in Ann convicted of marijuana of-
Arbor — also approved to fenses that would be legal
start selling for adult use in under the new law. A low-
December. The business interest loan program for
is doubling staff and has these applicants also was
fielded calls from potential This Nov. 25, 2019 photo shows marijuana on display at Arbors Wellness in the medical marijuana created as part of the law.
customers across the state shop in Ann Arbor, Mich. Adults age 21 and over will be able to buy marijuana for recreational use Michigan has cut mari-
along with neighboring starting Sunday, Dec. 1 in Michigan. juana licensing fees for
Ohio and Indiana. Associated Press prospective business own-
"The end of prohibition is ers living in 41 cities whose
historic," he said. "We want- system implemented," he ed 18 licenses and ap- to truth in labeling to taxes residents were dispropor-
ed to rip the Band-Aid off." said. proved 78 pre-qualification to consumer safety," he tionately impacted by drug
Both Michigan and Illinois, Taking marijuana from a applications. said. "We don't think any enforcement.
which allows sales starting small cutting to dried flow- He said he expects adult short-term supply issues are Toi Hutchinson, a former Il-
on Jan. 1, are officially join- er ready to be sold or trans- sales to occur in "some con- going to be harmful." linois state senator who
ing nine other states that formed into edible gum- sistent form" at a greater Still, retailers are consider- oversees the work of all
broadly allow marijuana mies or oils takes months. number of Michigan loca- ing appointment-based seven state agencies that
sales. Companies are rush- In Michigan, where vot- tions by the end of March. systems rather than lin- interact with cannabis busi-
ing to complete renova- ers legalized recreational In Illinois, seven months will ing up customers in winter nesses, said she is confident
tions at dispensaries, ex- pot just over a year ago, have separated Gov. J.B. weather. Others have ret- that regulators are hitting
pand their growing facili- regulators who began ac- Pritzker's signing of legisla- rofitted their dispensaries their deadlines. And she
ties, and get staff hired and cepting license applica- tion permitting people 21 to let medical patients in said they will be prepared
trained. tions Nov. 1 are aiding the and older to buy and pos- one door and recreational for other significant mile-
The Midwestern states' transition by letting medi- sess marijuana and the customers in another, hop- stones in 2020, including
launch into the potentially cal growers, processors start of sales in January. ing to limit confusion if their the first round of applicants
lucrative recreational mar- and dispensaries transfer The first round of applica- product supplies run low. seeking 75 additional li-
ket comes at a turbulent up to half their products to tions is limited to existing Amy Manganelli, chief op- censes to sell recreational
time for the industry, which the recreational side under medical marijuana retail- erating officer at Maple- products.
has been rocked by layoffs, certain conditions. ers, and about 30 are newly glen Care Center in the January will bring "hiccups,"
the vaping health scare But marijuana is unlikely to licensed to sell recreational western Illinois city of Rock- Hutchison acknowledged.
and investor disappoint- be more broadly available products. ford, said she is anticipating But she said Illinois must stay
ment with Canada's mari- until more businesses be- More could be approved long lines and taking steps focused on broader goals
juana program. come licensed and addi- before January. to prepare employees. including making sure peo-
In both states, a limited tional communities autho- Most of the state's licensed "We can't open January 1 ple of color get opportuni-
number of businesses have rize sales. cultivation companies are and have somebody futz- ties in the marijuana indus-
received state licenses let- More than 1,400 of Michi- expanding their space to ing with the scanner," she try.
ting them sell recreational gan's nearly 1,800 cities, meet higher demand for said. "That won't make the "If we're really serious about
products initially. But those townships and villages are marijuana products. But people in line, standing out- equity, this is a long game,"
same retailers must keep not allowing recreational that work takes time, too. side in winter, very happy." said Hutchinson, who co-
enough product on hand businesses. Even Detroit, Mark de Souza, CEO of the State law lets local govern- sponsored the marijuana
to supply people certified home to the most medical state's largest marijuana ments bar recreational dis- legalization proposal. "This
as patients under medical dispensaries in the state, producer Revolution Enter- pensaries, and at least two isn't just about January 1."q
marijuana laws. has delayed recreational prises, said he has heard of Illinois' existing medical
The conditions are "almost sales until at least Jan. 31. from dispensary operators dispensaries are in com-
a guarantee" that Illinois "This is brand new for a lot "panicked" that they could munities that decided to
and Michigan customers of municipalities. I think it's have empty shelves within prevent expanded sales.
will experience long lines, important that they are months of adult sales be- Chicago set up seven dis-
product shortages and po- doing their due diligence ginning. tricts with a limited number
tentially high prices in the and taking an approach But he believes the overall of dispensaries allowed in
early stages, said Adam that honors the will of their structure Illinois' law creat- each, and business own-
Orens, co-founder of the people," said Andrew Bris- ed will become the indus- ers only learned at a lottery
Marijuana Policy Group. bo, executive director of try's "gold standard." event in mid-November
"They've got to get through the Marijuana Regulatory "You're going to ensure ev- where they could operate
the growing pains to get a Agency, which has award- erything from compliance within the city.