Calhoun County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Calhoun County?

Licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation is legal in municipalities of Calhoun County that permit it. Medical cannabis was legalized in the State of Michigan by the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Initiated-Law-1-of-2008.pdf) (MMMA) in 2008. The Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) of 2016 enabled the establishment of medical cannabis businesses but only in municipalities that agreed to them. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-Initiated-Law-1-of-2018) (MRTMA) legalized the adult use of cannabis by people 21 years old and above, and the establishment of adult-use cannabis businesses only in municipalities that opted in.

In Calhoun County, all four cities, one out of five villages, and three out of 19 townships opted into having medical cannabis cultivation businesses. These are as follows:

• City of Albion
• City of Springfield
• City of Marshall
• City of Battle Creek
• Village of Tekonsha
• Marengo Township
• Emmett Township
• Bedford Charter Township

Meanwhile, 15 out of 19 townships, two out of five villages, and one out of four cities in Calhoun County have opted out of adult-use cannabis cultivation businesses. These are the following:

• City of Albion
• Village of Union City
• Village of Homer
• Tekonsha Township
• Sheridan Township
• Pennfield Township
• Newton Township
• Marshall Township
• Leroy Township
• Homer Township
• Fredonia Township
• Emmett Charter Township
• Eckford Township
• Convis Township
• Clarendon Township
• Clarence Township
• Burlington Township
• Albion Township

The regulation and licensing of medical and adult-use cannabis in the State of Michigan are under the Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), subject to the marijuana licensing rules. A cannabis cultivation company can only operate in Calhoun County after applying online or on paper to LARA for a medical facility license or an adult-use establishment license.

The three types of medical cannabis cultivation facility licenses are as follows:

Instead of an annual license fee, medical cannabis facility licensees pay regulatory assessment fees. For medical cannabis grower licensees, this has a cap of $10,000.

The three types of adult-use cannabis cultivation establishment licenses are as follows:

There is also an adult-use cannabis microbusiness license that covers not just cannabis plant cultivation but also cannabis product manufacturing and retail. The cultivation limit is up to 150 mature cannabis plants only, with an annual license and renewal fee of $8,300. Moreover, there is a Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license that allows the same business activities but extends the cultivation limit up to 300 mature cannabis plants, carrying a yearly license and renewal fee of $18,600.

The application fee for any type of cultivation or microbusiness license is $3,000 and is non-refundable.

According to the marijuana licensing rules, a medical or adult-use cannabis facility can only be set up in a zoning district approved by the municipality. An adult-use cannabis facility must be at a distance of over 1,000 feet from a school with students from Grade 12 down.

Medical and adult-use cannabis grower licensees are allowed to grow their plants indoors and outdoors but they must ensure that the facility is entirely secured by a fence and a locked gate that bars unauthorized persons from entering and hides the cannabis-related activities from the public.

The home growing of cannabis solely for personal use is allowed by Section 333.27955/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-333-27955) of the MRTMA only in municipalities that have opted into it, and only for people 21 years old and above. Up to 12 cannabis plants can be grown in a residence, regardless of the number of qualified residents. As with commercial cultivation, the residential cannabis cultivation area must be under lock and key and away from public view.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Calhoun County?

The licensed manufacturing in Calhoun County of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products is legal under the State of Michigan’s MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA, but only in the municipalities that have opted for it. The same Calhoun County municipalities that opted into medical cannabis cultivation businesses also opted into medical cannabis manufacturing businesses. The same county municipalities that opted out of adult-use cannabis cultivation businesses also opted out of adult-use cannabis manufacturing businesses.

A cannabis manufacturing company can only be established in Calhoun County after obtaining any of the following licenses from LARA:

• Medical cannabis processor license
• Adult-use cannabis processor license
• Adult-use cannabis microbusiness license
• Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

The application fee for all of the processor licenses is $3,000. Adult-use cannabis processor licensees must pay an annual license fee of $24,000. Medical and adult-use cannabis processor applicants and licensees must observe the same requirements as medical and adult-use cannabis grower applicants and licensees vis-a-vis location, security, and visibility to the public.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Calhoun County?

Under the MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA of the State of Michigan, the licensed retail selling of medical cannabis and cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders, and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products to people 21 years old and above, is legal in Calhoun County only if a municipality has agreed to it.

Only the following Calhoun County municipalities opted into having medical cannabis provisioning centers for retail:

• City of Albion
• City of Springfield
• City of Battle Creek
• Village of Tekonsha
• Emmett Township
• Bedford Charter Township

The same county municipalities that opted out of adult-use cannabis cultivation and manufacturing businesses also opted out of adult-use cannabis retail businesses.

To operate in Calhoun County, a cannabis retail company needs to apply to LARA for one of the following licenses:

• Medical cannabis provisioning center license
• Adult-use cannabis retailer license
• Adult-use cannabis microbusiness license
• Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

Again the application fees are uniform at $3,000. Adult-use cannabis retailer licensees have an annual license fee of $15,000. Medical and adult-use cannabis retailer or provisioning center applicants and licensees must abide by the same location, security, and public shielding regulations as those for medical and adult-use cannabis grower and processor applicants and licensees.

Medical cannabis provisioning center licensees are required to check the medical cannabis card of a patient or caregiver on the online registry of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) for verification. Adult-use cannabis retailer licensees are required to verify the age and identity of every purchaser through a valid government-issued photo ID.

Licensed provisioning centers and retailers are authorized by the MMFLA and MRTMA to sell to their respective qualified purchasers medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products in the form of cannabis plant parts, concentrate, and cannabis-infused edible products, drinks, tinctures, topical preparations, and others.

Medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis product packages containing several servings must be resealable. Medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis product containers must be sealed, opaque, and not attractive to children.

The purchase limit per transaction is the same for every medical cannabis cardholder or consumer who is 21 years old and above. The MMMA and the MRTMA both set this at 2.5 ounces of cannabis or the equivalent in cannabis products. Section 333.26424/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-333-26424) of the MMMA states that one ounce of cannabis has the following equivalents:

• 16 ounces if the cannabis product is solid
• 36 fluid ounces if the cannabis product is liquid
• 7 grams if the cannabis product is gaseous

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Calhoun County?

The State of Michigan’s MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA legalized the licensed delivery of medical cannabis and cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders, and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products to people 21 years old and above, only in Calhoun County municipalities that have agreed to it.

Licensed provisioning centers and retailers are required to verify the identities and ages of purchasers through their medical cannabis cards or valid government-issued IDs both upon ordering and before handing over the delivery. Deliveries may be made to medical cannabis cardholders only at their registered address. To adult consumers, deliveries may be made either at their residence or a licensed consumption center of their choice.

Deliveries must coincide with the business hours of licensed provisioning centers and retailers. Delivery vehicles must be monitored via GPS. The maximum quantity of cannabis that can be carried in one trip is as follows:

• $5,000 worth of items based on selling price
• 15 ounces of cannabis plant parts
• 60 grams of cannabis concentrate
• 15 ounces of cannabis in cannabis products

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Calhoun County

Calhoun County residents can apply for an MMMP medical cannabis card after being diagnosed with one of the following qualifying ailments by a state-licensed physician:

• Colitis
• Nail Patella
• HIV
• Hepatitis C
• AIDS
• Tourette’s Disease
• Parkinson’s Disease
• Glaucoma
• Alzheimer’s Disease with agitation
• Cancer
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Ulcerative Colitis
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Crohn’s Disease
• Arthritis
• Cerebral Palsy
• Autism
• Chronic Pain
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Ailments or treatments resulting in any of the following:
  • Seizures
  • Severe Nausea
  • Cachexia
  • Persistent Severe Muscle Spasms
  • Chronic Severe Pain

The doctor may upload a certification of the diagnosis to the MMMP online registry, after which the patient must finish the online patient application. The doctor may also instead hand over the certification to the patient, after which the patient must scan and upload it during the online application process.

A parent or legal guardian must send an application by mail for a patient who is not yet 18 years old, using the minor patient packet. A caregiver must send an application by mail for an adult patient who is incapacitated physically or mentally, using the adult patient packet. The required documents must be mailed to the following address:

Michigan Medical Marijuana Program

P.O. Box 30083

Lansing, MI 48909

In cases where the assistance of a caregiver is needed by an adult patient who is not incapacitated, the patient must first receive the medical cannabis card before the appointed caregiver may mail the accomplished caregiver form to the same office.

All applications come with a $40 fee. Processing takes about 20 working days.

Inquiries may be sent to the following:

Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

Cannabis Regulatory Agency

Phone: 517-284-8599

E-mail: CRA-MMMPINFO@michigan.gov

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Calhoun County?

According to Section 333.27205 of the MMFLA and Section 333.27956/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-333-27956) of the MRTMA municipalities of Calhoun County that have opted into having either medical or adult-use cannabis facilities within their jurisdictions are authorized to charge each facility an annual fee of $5,000.

Furthermore, the State of Michigan imposes taxes on adult-use cannabis comprised of a 10% excise tax and a 6% state sales tax. From the state revenues from adult-use cannabis taxation, 15% is distributed among counties, and another 15% is distributed among municipalities, based on their number of licensed adult-use cannabis facilities.

The Michigan Department of Treasury’s report on FY 2022 Adult-Use Marijuana Distributions shows that $1,347,871.46 was given to Calhoun County for the fiscal year, and the same amount was distributed among its municipalities that had medical or adult-use cannabis facilities. There were 26 cannabis licensees in the county, with 12 in Emmett Township, 10 in the City of Battle Creek, two in Bedford Township, one in the City of Springfield, and one in the Village of Tekonsha.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Calhoun County

Medical cannabis was first legalized in Calhoun County in 2008, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2018.

On the FBI’s Crime Explorer page, data sent by the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office shows that in 2007, a year before the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 22 arrests for marijuana offenses, comprised of 19 arrests for possession and three arrests for sales.

In 2009, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 18 arrests for marijuana offenses, comprised of 17 arrests for possession and one arrest for sales.

In 2019, a year after the legalization of adult-use cannabis, there was no arrest for marijuana offenses.

The latest data available, which is from 2021, still shows no arrest for marijuana offenses.

In those years, the number of DUI arrests was as follows:

• 2007: 184 arrests
• 2009: 65 arrests
• 2019: 51 arrests
• 2021: 54 arrests