Legwork in Lansing

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]T[/dropcap]he medical cannabis market is barreling forward in Lansing, with a series of licensing approvals unfolding. The Lansing City Council first approved the city’s medical cannabis licensing system back in September 2017. Under Lansing’s medical cannabis ordinance, up to 25 provisioning centers can open up in the city. That includes 20 provisioning centers during the initial round of licensing, and five more licenses beginning on Feb. 13. Unfortunately, a series of delays set back the rollout of licenses until recently.

The initial cap of 20 provisioning centers created a highly competitive situation. During the first batch of medical cannabis license applications, 85 applicants attempted to open a provisioning center. On Nov. 27, it was announced that Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope approved 10 medical cannabis provisioning center applications, under the stipulation that they obtain state licenses.

Photo courtesy Chris Swope

The winning businesses were chosen based upon a 100-point scoring system. The businesses with the biggest potential economic impacts were favored.

The 10 businesses could provide jobs for up to 1,444 people in the city. The businesses could funnel as much as $51 million into the city’s coffers. “While the direct tax revenue formula is being debated and adjusted as of this moment, there is no debate that this new industry will be bringing good paying jobs and construction work to Lansing,” Swope told CULTURE. “Our ordinance created a competitive process which awarded points for paying all their workers at least $15 an hour, construction investment and investing over a million dollars in the city of Lansing. However, I believe the selection and regulation of medical marijuana can’t be just about revenue. I know that many Lansing residents depend on these products for their well-being.”

Lansing Chief Deputy City Clerk Brian P. Jackson confirmed to CULTURE that 10 businesses have been approved in the city so far. “Any conditionally approved applicant will still need to have approval from the state of Michigan and a valid certificate of occupancy before receiving a license, which will need to be renewed annually,” Jackson provided in a statement. In addition, businesses also will need certification from Lansing’s Building Safety Department.

The first 10 provisioning centers that received the conditional approval are below:

• AEY Holdings LLC. (KIN) at 3425 S Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• Altum LLC. (Altum Provisions) at 5829 Executive Dr. (Suite A)
• Apex Ultra LLC. (Bazonzoes) at 2101 W. Willow St. (Suite A)
• Better Than Nature LLC. at 820 W. Miller St. (Suite A)
• Capital City LLC. (The Lansing Botanical Co.) at 3525 Capital City Blvd.
• CSHM Services LLC. (Cornerstone Wellness) at 3316 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
• Edgewood Wellness LLC. at 134 E. Edgewood Blvd.
• HG Lansing LLC. (Homegrown Lansing) at 1116 E. Oakland Ave.
• HQ3 Enterprises (Pure Options) at 5815 S. Pennsylvania Ave.
• N-East Services LLC. (Old 27 Wellness) at 2905 N. East St.

Of the 10 businesses, four provisioning centers, Edgewood Wellness, Homegrown Lansing, Pure Options and Old 27 Wellness, have already been in operation. Five are vacant storefront properties, and one provisioning center is currently closed for renovations. HG Lansing LLC already received its state license on Dec. 7.

Also on Dec. 7, Lansing dropped its lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). The city joined other plaintiffs last November and sued the department for announcing that it would shut down provisioning centers that missed an Oct. 31, 2018 requirement.

Meanwhile, Michigan residents celebrated the first day of legal recreational cannabis protections in the state on Dec. 6, and in Lansing, journalists from Lansing City Pulse handed out joints. One day later, the LARA’s Medical Marihuana Licensing Board approved a state operating license application for the first provisioning center among the 10 locally licensed businesses in Lansing on Dec. 7.

Beyond provisioning centers, other license types have been granted. On Dec. 10, the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board gave final approval for 12 class C Cultivation licenses for Green Peak Innovations. Last October, Green Peak Innovations’ first two class C licenses were approved and put to use at the company’s production facility in Lansing. The company’s other 10 class C licenses will be utilized at the company’s large 25-acre facility in Harvest Park.

The remaining 10 provisioning centers in Lansing have not yet been announced as of mid-December.