Lawsuit accuses Detroit marijuana program of discrimination before it launches – IOTW Report

Lawsuit accuses Detroit marijuana program of discrimination before it launches

Mlive: Detroit’s marijuana ordinance took a long time to create and could take less time to undo, if a lawsuit challenging it succeeds.

The lawsuit seeks to invalidate Detroit’s carefully constructed retail marijuana licensing program designed to ensure city residents aren’t shut out by deep-pocketed outsiders before any recreational cannabis business opens its doors.

Prospective marijuana business owner Crystal Lowe in a civil lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 2 claims the program’s preferential residency requirements are illegal, a violation of both the state and federal constitutions.

If successful, Detroit leaders, who’ve already received criticism for being late to the recreational marijuana game, may be forced to start from scratch.

While Detroit’s recreational marijuana market works toward opening this summer or fall, other communities, like Ann Arbor, have a significant head start, with dozens of licensed businesses already in operation.

The lawsuit seeks to invalidate Detroit’s carefully constructed retail marijuana licensing program designed to ensure city residents aren’t shut out by deep-pocketed outsiders before any recreational cannabis business opens its doors.

Prospective marijuana business owner Crystal Lowe in a civil lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on Tuesday, March 2 claims the program’s preferential residency requirements are illegal, a violation of both the state and federal constitutions. more

11 Comments on Lawsuit accuses Detroit marijuana program of discrimination before it launches

  1. Dear Detroit, you’re gonna’ want control of the growing end of the business.

    The retail side, although potentially lucrative, is tedious with paperwork and compliance.

    Also, before setting up shop. Find out what the THC % limits are imposed by the state. See, here in AZ, it’s legal to sell BUT it must be no more than 16 or 21% THC.

    In other words, weak beer. If the black market (no pun intended) can supply better weed, your business venture will be short lived.

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  2. Nah, a crap ton of shops will open, the city and state will rely on potential sales tax profits…and half the shops will close due to incompetent stoners, or competition.

    The tax windfall will never appear, plunging the city and state into debt and there will be MORE black market weed available,more potent and cheaper, undercutting the over regulated and over taxed legal weed.

    I hear good things about CBD bath bombs though.

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  3. The thing about legalized pot is…expect to smell it EVERYWHERE!
    I run down the Strip is Vegas at 7 AM…smell pot.
    Walk with your kids downtown…smell pot and they ask “daddy, what is that smell?”
    Car wrecks increase 120%…P O T

    That is reality like it or not.
    Legalized pot is just another nail in the coffin.
    I’m all for it since I am happy for society to end ASAP!

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  4. There is a good reason that I haven’t smoked dope since Labor Day 1975 when I was 22. I was a dope, a stupid dumbass stoner and quit because I didn’t like what it was doing to me both physically and mentally. God helped me to quit smoking dope and I haven’t been tempted since then and I never thought that it would become legal ever in a lot of states including Washington state. I would have not had a problem if they had decriminalized it but legalizing dope smoking is not a good idea and never will be. I don’t drink either, I prefer to stay sober and live a drug free/alcohol free life. Smoking dope didn’t me any good back in the 70’s and I’m sure as hell not going to become another stupid dumbass aging baby boomer who never grew up and who still thinks Cheech and Chong are funny and walks around like a stoned out brain dead Zombie. I have too many friends who have wasted their lives and are among the walking dead (and some who committed suicide because of their drug use) and walking wounded because they still smoke dope and think it’s no big deal. If I had chosen other wise when I was 22 I might not be here now or if I was to have lived a miserable life without God and never would have been able to marry my wife and have 3 children and a good life. I chose to live my life with God then and still do because I knew how screwed up I was.

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  5. Pot licenses in Ann Arbor, MI? (Graduated from A2 Huron High School 1989)

    Home of the Hash Bash? The $5 pot fine?

    Like selling snow to an Eskimo.

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  6. “…program designed to ensure city residents aren’t shut out by deep-pocketed outsiders…”

    Translation: Law was designed to give preferential treatment to blacks over whites.

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  7. Smoked some when I was a younger man. Sometimes the effects were good, other times not so much. Gave it up when it became time to raise and provide for the wife and kids. Then got into driving the big trucks. That made smoking a total no-no. Never looked back.

    Then about a year ago I was offered a toke at a friend’s farm in Colorado. Hey… ‘ya know what? It was kind’a fun. So now,. me and the missus, spend an occasional Saturday night sitting on the couch, lighting up, and putting some old 70’s Rock or Soul Music in the machine and dig on the music. Not a bad way to pass a Saturday night for a couple of 75 year olds. Our kids are shocked!!!

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  8. Like there’s a rush on getting applications in from the traditional ‘recreational pharmaceutical sales force’. I’m sure that
    Detroit is already figuring how to spend all that “found” money. (NOT)

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