There has been an increased interest in Michigan’s recreational marijuana facilities after the Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) in its October 6, 2020 announcement relaxed the rules for the types of facilities that can apply for recreational marijuana licenses. It eliminated the restriction that required only businesses with prior medical marijuana licenses to submit applications for adult-use licenses.
The move came as a last result to control the rising incidences of illegal marijuana plant seizures, which will hopefully bring more people into the mainstream, make more facilities compliant, and guarantee consumers safe products.
New businesses are anticipated to enter the market as soon as March 1, 2021, and more applicants are expected to follow. It is a positive development for the commercial real estate agents serving the cannabis market as they will need to fulfill the increased demand for green zoned properties.
Unlocking opportunities for Michigan recreational facilities
Municipalities across Michigan reserve the right to opt into the Michigan Medical Marihuana Facilities Act (MMFLA) and the Michigan Regulation Taxation of Marijuana Act (MRTMA).
Cities, villages, or townships that have opted-in get to choose the number of each type of facility that’s allowed to set up shop in their jurisdiction. As an illustration, a township can control the number of provisioning centers by capping their numbers and set no caps for other facilities. Similarly, a city may not cap the number of marijuana facilities but choose to introduce strict zoning requirements.
The most promising cities to keep an eye on are those that have not introduced any caps because they are favorable to license applicants. Here is a list of municipalities and their respective counties with no capping restrictions for all types of marijuana facilities.
The population of cities has been highlighted along with townships that have sizable populations.
Arenac County
- Au Gres Township
Bay County
- Gibson Township
- Hampton Charter Township (Population, 9,452).
Calhoun County
- Battle Creek City (Population: 51,247)
- Emmett Charter Township (Population: 12,787)
Genesse County
- Burton City (Population 28,652)
- Thetford Township (Population 6,726)
Ingham County
- East Lansing City: No caps on all facilities; however, provisioning centers are zoning dependent. (Population: 47,98)
Ionia County
- Ionia City (Population: 10,952)
- Saranac, Village of
Iron County
- Mastodon Township
Kalamazoo County
- Kalamazoo Charter Township (Population: 22,677)
- Kalamazoo City (Population: 76,545)
- Portage City (Population: 49,216)
Kent County
- City of Grand Rapids: There are no caps on all facility types, but all facilities are zoning dependent. (Population: 200,217)
Lake County
- Pleasant Plains Township
Lenawee County
- Adrian City: There are no caps, but only 5 licenses for provisioning centers are available in B-1 and B-2 districts collectively. But there are no caps in the industrial overlay district. (Population: 20,423).
- Madison Township (Population: 2,645)
Mecosta County
- Big Rapids City (Population: 10,395)
Muskegon County
- Muskegon City (Population: 37,287)
- Dalton Township (Population: 9,381)
Ontonagon County
- Carp Lake Township
Osceola County
- Richmond Township
Saint Joseph
- Village of Constantine
Schoolcraft County
- Mueller Township
Tuscola County
- Vassar City (Population: 2,552)
Van Buren County
- Village of Decatur
- Ann Arbor City (Population: 121,89)
Other promising municipalities for Michigan recreational marijuana facilities
Many more municipalities have opted-in the MMFLA and MRTMA. Despite capping the numbers of certain facilities, these are still promising places that will draw other businesses in the cannabis space.
Notable municipalities that you should also consider for opportunities include:
- Detroit, Wayne: There are no restrictions on other facilities, but provisioning centers are capped at 75. (Population, 672,662)
- Pontiac City, Oakland: Provisioning centers have been restricted to 20, but other types of facilities are allowed. (Population, 59,772 )
- Warren, Macomb: The third-largest city in Michigan has capped provisioning centers to 10 but allowed other types of marijuana facilities. (Population, 134,587)
- Lansing City, Ingham: Lansing allows all types of facilities, but provisioning centers are restricted to 25. (Population, 118,427)
- Kingsley, Village of, Grand Traverse: The rural village has capped provisioning centers to 13 but allows other types of facilities. (Population, 1,621)
Use Zonegoat to Find Cannabis Zoned Properties
Zonegoat provides a listing feature that leverages atifical intelligence to help you find cannabis zoned properties across Michigan (and soon nationwide). If you need to perform in-depth zoning research, you can use Zonegoat Cannabis Property Search advanced features designed for commercial brokerages and real estate agents. For instance, you can generate zoning reports, get a quick access to municipalities rules and regulation including licenses limits and filter municipalities on various criteria.
Start a free trial or schedule a demo with our team.