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Genesee County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2024

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Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Jackson County?

Licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation is legal in Jackson County under the State of Michigan’s 2018 Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA), as well as the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) enacted in 2016, and the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act (MMMA) enacted in 2008. The MRTMA states that all municipalities are compelled to allow licensed medical facilities but they are allowed to ban licensed adult-use cannabis facilities by opting out of the MRTMA.

A majority of the 27 municipalities in Jackson County are disallowing licensed adult-use cannabis facilities. Jackson City opted in but 12 out of 16 civil townships, two out of three charter townships, and three out of seven villages opted out. Those that opted out are the following:

  • Waterloo Township

  • Tompkins Township

  • Springport Township

  • Spring Arbor Township

  • Rives Township

  • Norvell Township

  • Napoleon Township

  • Liberty Township

  • Henrietta Township

  • Hanover Township

  • Concord Township

  • Columbia Township

  • Sandstone Charter Township

  • Grass Lake Charter Township

  • Grass Lake Village

  • Cement City Village

  • Brooklyn Village

The Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) regulates medical and adult-use cannabis in the State of Michigan. All cannabis businesses, such as cultivation facilities, must apply to the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) for a medical or adult-use cannabis facility license and comply with its marijuana licensing rules. For instance, any cannabis facility must be located in a zone designated by the municipality. Also, there must be more than 1,000 feet between any school up to Grade 12 and any adult-use cannabis facility.

As of May 2023, applications for any type of cannabis facility are subject to the following:

  • Payment of the $3,000 non-refundable application fee

  • Documentation of having $100,000 for any bodily injury liability related to the business

  • For medical cannabis facilities only, documentation of having $100,000 for any premises liability related to the business

There are three medical cannabis cultivation licenses. The Class A medical cannabis grower license holder may cultivate a maximum of 500 mature cannabis plants. The Class B medical cannabis grower license holder may cultivate a maximum of 1,000 mature cannabis plants. The Class C medical cannabis grower license holder may cultivate a maximum of 1,500 mature cannabis plants.

There are also three adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses. The Class A adult-use cannabis grower license holder may cultivate a maximum of 100 mature cannabis plants. The Class B adult-use cannabis grower license holder may cultivate a maximum of 500 mature cannabis plants. Meanwhile, up to 2,000 mature cannabis plants may be cultivated by the Class C adult-use cannabis grower license holder.

On the other hand, adult-use cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and retail operations are allowed under the adult-use cannabis microbusiness license. A maximum of 150 mature cannabis plants may be grown. The number of plants allowed is doubled under the Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license.

The respective annual license fees are as follows:

  • Class A medical and adult-use cannabis cultivator license fee: $1,200

  • Class B medical and adult-use cannabis cultivator license fee: $6,000

  • Class C medical and adult-use cannabis cultivator license fee: $24,000

  • Cannabis adult-use microbusiness license fee: $8,300

  • Class A cannabis adult-use microbusiness license fee: $18,600

Licensed medical and adult-use cannabis growers may grow their cannabis crops indoors or outdoors as long as the entire facility is protected by a fence and a gate that is locked against unauthorized entry. The fence and gate must also hide the facility’s activities from public view.

The MRTMA’s Section 333.27955 allows people who are 21 years old and older living in municipalities that have opted into the Act to grow medical or adult-use cannabis at home for personal use only. The maximum number of plants that may be grown in a household is 12 even if several qualified adults reside there. The cannabis growing area must be locked against intruders and hidden from the public.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Jackson County?

Licensed medical cannabis product manufacturing is legal in Jackson County under the State of Michigan’s MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA, but adult-use cannabis product manufacturing is allowed only in 10 municipalities.

A cannabis product manufacturing company is required to acquire from the LARA one of the following:

  • A medical cannabis processor license

  • An adult-use cannabis processor license

  • An adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

  • A Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

Each requires a $3,000 application fee. The annual license fee for processors is $24,000. All of them are subject to the same location, public visibility, and security requirements as licensed cannabis growers.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Jackson County?

The licensed retail selling of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders is legal in Jackson County under the MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA of the State of Michigan, but the licensed retail selling of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products to persons who are 21 years old and older are permitted only in 10 municipalities of the county.

A cannabis retail company is required to acquire from the LARA one of the following:

  • A medical cannabis provisioning center license

  • An adult-use cannabis retailer license

  • An adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

  • A Class A adult-use cannabis microbusiness license

All application fees are $3,000. The annual license fee for retailers is $15,000. All cannabis retail licensees must abide by the same site, security, and public visibility rules as licensed cannabis growers and manufacturers.

The medical cannabis card of a patient or caregiver must be checked by the licensed medical cannabis provisioning center through the Michigan Medical Marijuana Program (MMMP) online registry. The valid government-issued photo ID card of a purchaser aged 21 and older must be checked by the licensed adult-use cannabis retailer to validate age and identity.

Licensed medical and adult-use cannabis retailers are permitted to sell all forms of cannabis and cannabis products to qualified purchasers, including cannabis concentrate, tinctures, oil, beverages, edible goods, and topical preparations, among others. All these must be in opaque sealed packaging that is unappealing to children. Resealable containers must be used for items that contain multiple servings.

In one transaction with a licensed cannabis retailer, any qualified purchaser is only allowed by the MMMA and the MRTMA to purchase not more than 2.5 ounces of cannabis or its equivalent. The MMMA’s Section 333.26424 defines one ounce to be equal to any of the following:

  • A liquid cannabis product: 36 fluid ounces

  • A solid cannabis product: 16 ounces

  • A gaseous cannabis product: 7 grams

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Jackson County?

The licensed delivery of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products to medical cannabis cardholders in Jackson County is legal under the State of Michigan’s MMMA, MMFLA, and MRTMA. However, for adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products, licensed delivery is legal to persons aged 21 and older only in the 10 municipalities that opted into the MRTMA.

During the ordering process, and again before turning over the items being delivered, the medical cannabis card of a patient or caregiver or the valid government-issued photo ID card of a person aged 21 and older must be verified by the licensed cannabis retailer.

For medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, licensed retailers are only allowed to deliver to the medical cannabis cardholder’s registered address. On the other hand, licensed adult-use cannabis retailers are allowed to deliver adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products either to the home of the qualified adult purchaser or a licensed consumption facility preferred by the qualified adult purchaser.

Medical or adult-use cannabis delivery by licensed cannabis retailers may only be done during their business hours. They must use locked vehicles that must be tracked throughout every trip by GPS. Each delivery may only carry up to the following amount of cannabis:

  • Total selling price: $5,000

  • Cannabis: 15 ounces

  • Cannabis concentrate: 60 grams

  • Cannabis products: 15 ounces

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Jackson County

An MMMP medical marijuana card may be applied for from the LARA by Jackson County residents provided that a state-licensed osteopathic or medical physician has diagnosed them to have one of the following medical conditions:

  • Nail Patella

  • Hepatitis C

  • Tourette’s Disease

  • Glaucoma

  • Cancer

  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease

  • Ulcerative Colitis

  • Spinal Cord Injury

  • Arthritis

  • Autism

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

  • Chronic Pain

  • Cerebral Palsy

  • Crohn’s Disease

  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

  • Rheumatoid Arthritis

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Alzheimer’s Disease with agitation

  • Parkinson’s Disease

  • AIDS

  • HIV

  • Colitis

  • Illness or treatment causing one of the following:

    • Severe Nausea

    • Chronic Severe Pain

    • Persistent Severe Muscle Spasms

    • Cachexia

    • Seizures

A written certification of the diagnosis may be directly uploaded by the physician to the online registry of the MMMP or a printed copy may be given to the patient who must then complete the online patient application process. If a printed written certification was provided by the physician, this must be scanned and uploaded by the patient.

Mentally or physically incapacitated adult patients and patients who are minors must be applied for by mail by a parent, legal guardian, or caregiver. The printed and completed adult patient packet or minor patient packet must be sent with the listed documents to:

Michigan Medical Marijuana Program

P.O. Box 30083

Lansing, MI 48909

If an adult patient is not incapacitated but needs help from a caregiver in purchasing medical cannabis and medical cannabis products, the arrival of the patient’s medical cannabis card must be awaited before the caregiver can apply by mail with the printed and completed caregiver form and requirements sent to the same address.

Each application costs $40 and the medical cannabis card arrives in about 20 days, excluding weekends and holidays. Queries may be sent to:

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 Jackson County?

Municipalities in Jackson County are allowed by the MMFLA and the MRTMA to charge a $5,000 annual fee to every medical or adult-use cannabis facility located in their respective territories.

Also, Jackson County and its municipalities that have licensed adult-use cannabis establishments benefit from the allocations of tax revenues received by the state from adult-use cannabis taxation. A 10% excise tax is charged for every purchase of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products based on price. The sum of the price plus the excise tax is further subject to a state sales tax of 6%. The following is the allocation of total tax revenues:

  • 15% to counties, distributed according to the number of adult-use cannabis facilities they have

  • 15% to municipalities, distributed according to the number of adult-use cannabis facilities they have

  • 35% to the K-12 education program of the School Aid Fund

  • 35% to the Michigan Transportation Fund to repair and maintain roads and bridges

According to the FY 2022 Adult-Use Marijuana Distributions report of the Michigan Department of Treasury dated February 23, 2023, over $29.75 million was distributed among 64 counties, and an equal sum was distributed among 26 villages, 53 townships, and 81 cities. Jackson County received $673,935.73 for having 13 licensed adult-use cannabis facilities. The following municipalities of the county received the following amounts:

  • Leoni Township received $518,412.for having 10 licensed adult-use cannabis facilities

  • Jackson City received $51,841.21 for having one licensed adult-use cannabis facility

  • Pulaski Township received $51,841.21 for having one licensed adult-use cannabis facility

  • Parma Township received $51,841.21 for having one licensed adult-use cannabis facility

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Jackson County

Medical cannabis in Jackson County was legalized in 2008, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in municipalities that opted into the MRTMA in 2018.

Data from the Jackson County Sheriff's Office on the FBI’s Crime Explorer page shows that in 2007, the year prior to medical cannabis legalization, there were 14 marijuana offense arrests, comprised of 11 arrests for possession and three arrests for sales or manufacturing.

In 2009, which was the year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were also 14 marijuana offense arrests, comprised of 13 arrests for possession and one arrest for sales or manufacturing.

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

In 2021, which is the latest available data, there was one marijuana offense arrest, for possession.

The number of DUI arrests was as follows in those years:

  • 2007: 138 arrests

  • 2009: 169 arrests

  • 2019: 64 arrests

  • 2021: 65 arrests

Michigan Cannabis County Info