Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) has announced that it will begin accepting applications for adult-use cannabis licenses on Friday, November 1, 2019.
Cannabis became legal for adult-use in Michigan after voters approved Proposal 08-1, also known as the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA), with a 56 percent vote in November of 2018.
“Our team has done a tremendous job preparing for this day and we’re excited to start processing applications,” says MRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo. “We have the right people in the right positions to ensure that the adult-use marijuana industry will roll out efficiently for businesses and safely for consumers.”
All applicants will need to complete the MRA’s two-step process in order to obtain an adult-use license.
Main and supplemental applicants will need to submit Step One pre-qualification applications for review by the MRA where background checks will be completed.
Main applicants, who are the entities or individuals seeking to hold the state license, will also need to remit a nonrefundable application fee of $6,000 to the MRA
After receiving approval for Step One, main applicants may submit Step Two licensing applications for the type or types of licenses they wish to obtain.
During Step Two, the MRA will verify the applicant’s proof of financial responsibility, municipality information, business specifications, and general employee information.
The physical location of the cannabis establishment must also pass an MRA inspection within 60 days of the submission of a complete application.
For final approval, all MRTMA requirements must be met and the applicant must pay an initial licensing fee for each license issued.
Applicants do not need to possess a medical marijuana state operating license to be eligible for Class A grower, marijuana microbusiness, designated consumption establishment, marijuana safety compliance facility, marijuana event organizer, or temporary marijuana event licenses.
Medical marijuana state operating licenses will be required to obtain Class B marijuana grower, Class C marijuana grower, excess marijuana grower, marijuana processor, marijuana retailer, and marijuana secure transporter licenses.
Because of updates and revisions to the adult-use paper applications that were posted to the MRA website on October 3, 2019, applicants are encouraged to refer to and use the most current applications posted.
To ensure that applications are processed in a timely fashion, the MRA recommends that applicants submit applications through the online portal.
