LANSING, MI (WKZO AM/FM)– Marijuana business owners looking to set up shop could pay less in Kalamazoo and 18 other Michigan cities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement.
On Thursday Michigan regulators announced their new “social equity” program which cuts marijuana licensing fees by up to 60-percent for certain qualified applicants.
According to LARA those qualifications include:
- 25% reduction for those who have been a resident of one of the 19 disproportionally impacted communities for the past five years
- An additional 25% reduction if the individual(s) holding majority ownership have been a resident of one of the 19 disproportionally impacted communities for the past five years AND have a marijuana-related conviction.
- An additional 10% reduction if the individual(s) holding majority ownership have been a resident of one of the 19 disproportionally impacted communities for the past five years AND were registered as primary caregivers for at least two years between 2008 and 2017.
The cities were chosen by analyzing the number of pot-related convictions and the poverty rate.
Some of the cities include Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor, Albion, Niles, and Detroit.
Regulators will visit the 19 cities multiple times, hold educational sessions, and help people understand their eligibility before the state application opens up on November 1st.
MRA’s Executive Director Andrew Brisbo says, “A lot of work has gone into the development of this program and we are proud of the results. I believe that our Social Equity Program will lead the nation in accomplishing the social equity objectives that Michigan voters assigned us last fall when they passed the adult-use marijuana proposal.”
Find the full list of cities and more information here.
