Detroit awards 37 recreational marijuana licenses for retail, consumption lounges

Adrienne Roberts, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·4 min read
2

A new round of applicants have been awarded recreational marijuana licenses to operate retail, microbusiness and consumption lounge establishments in Detroit, the city's Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship said Tuesday.

Of the 65 applications the city received, 37 prospective marijuana business owners obtained a license, with the majority receiving a license to operate a recreational marijuana dispensary. One applicant received a license for a consumption lounge. If the lounge opens, it'll be the first consumption lounge in the city.

"These individuals and organizations have exhibited remarkable potential and commitment to operate successfully, while honoring the city’s diversity and equity goals," Kim James, director of the Office of Marijuana Ventures and Entrepreneurship, said in a news release. Of the 37 businesses that received a license, 13 businesses are majority African American owned, five are majority women owned and 21 have majority owners who are Detroit residents, the city said.

House of Dank on Fort Street was one of the first dispensaries to open its doors to recreational marijuana buyers in January 2023.
House of Dank on Fort Street was one of the first dispensaries to open its doors to recreational marijuana buyers in January 2023.

The second round of licenses comes nearly a year after the city announced the first 33 businesses to receive a recreational marijuana license in Detroit, marking the end of a yearslong effort by the city to award these limited licenses. Detroit faced several lawsuits as it worked to set up a licensing process that set aside half of all the limited licenses for "equity applicants."

Equity applicants include people who live in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and those with certified Detroit Legacy status currently living in Detroit or another disproportionately impacted community.

Recreational marijuana first became available to purchase in Detroit in early January and there are now 31 recreational marijuana retailers operating in the city.

Recreational marijuana products are subject to a 10% state excise tax and early next year, the Michigan Department of Treasury will announce how much of that tax revenue is being distributed to Detroit, marking the first year the city will receive payments from the Marihuana Regulation Fund. The marijuana tax totaled $266.2 million during state of Michigan's 2023 fiscal year.

Detroit started awarding unlimited licenses — such as for growing or processing cannabis — in April 2022.

In the latest round, four applicants received a provisional certificate to open a consumption lounge and two others received a provisional certificate to open a microbusiness, meaning they met all the criteria except having a property. They have 18 months to get a property, a process that the city will help them with, James said.

The businesses that were awarded licenses still need to get final approvals from the state of Michigan before opening.

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Below is the full list of the businesses that were awarded a license:

Equity Designated Consumption Lounge

  • Legacy Greens LLC, 19347 Mt. Elliott St.

Equity retailers

  • Green Genie 3 Inc., 20046 W. Warren Ave.

  • Dank Garden LLC, 7741 Lyndon St.

  • Midtown Weed Works LLC, 216 E. Milwaukee St.

  • Green Genie Inc., 24600 W. McNichols Road

  • Brightmoore Gardens LLC, 12641 Stout St.

  • East to West Management LLC, 5808 E. McNichols Road

  • 13042 Van Dyke LLC, 13042 Van Dyke Ave.

  • Caldwell 5540 LLC, 5540 E. Eight Mile Road

  • LHSZTY LLC, 7304 Michigan Ave.

  • Utopia Gardens LLC, 6541 E. Lafayette St.

  • Legacy Greens, LLC, 19347 Mt. Elliott St.

  • Treelated Health Center LLC, 10101 Fenkell Ave.

  • Golden Herbal Leaf Inc., 1601 E. Grand Blvd.

  • Emerald Garden Mineral Health Inc., 140 Clark St.

  • CJ Ball LLC, 7529 Joy Road

Nonequity retailers

  • 420 Factory LLC, 7555 Greenfield Road

  • Evergreen Wellness LLC, 19705 W. Seven Mile Road

  • The Great Vine LLC, 17498 Mt. Elliott St.

  • Buckmack LLC, 15831 Mack Ave.

  • No Limit Investments LLC, 2619 S. Schaefer Hwy.

  • BBJF LLC, 6191 W. Warren Ave.

  • 7940 Michigan Avenue LLC, 7940 Michigan Ave.

  • TCD Detroit LLC, 13815 W. Eight Mile Road

  • Jazz Club 2 LLC, 16890 Telegraph Road

  • Lando Land LLC, 6650 E. Eight Mile Road

  • West Michigan Collective LLC, 11999 Gratiot Ave.

  • Pure Property Holdings LLC, 13510 E. Eight Mile Road

  • 20100 Sherwood LLC, 20100 Sherwood St.

  • Backpack Boyz LLC, 6240 E. Eight Mile Road

  • 378 Fordson LLC, 8287 Southfield Road

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit awards second round of recreational marijuana licenses