Emerson Brown
In all aspects of life, the ability to start strong and finish even stronger is a must, but what happens in between the start and the finish varies depending on the situation, and I must say, the state of Michigan is surely shaking things up going forward when it comes to the culture of cannabis. Michigan has been able to produce and provide medical marijuana to patients since 2008, but this Friday all this is going to change. The state department of licensing and the regulatory board will start accepting and rejecting people looking to set up shop within the state boundaries of Michigan.
Last year, the Michigan Legislature passed and the governor signed into law three bills (House Bills 4209, 4827 and 4210) that will create a licensing and regulatory framework for medical marihuana that must be implemented by December 15, 2017. This new deadline for a prequalifying licensor has been the topic of discussion for some time now because at the moment any dispensary that’s operating in Michigan is under a legal, but illegal cloud.
Michigan is the home to nearly 272,215 medical marijuana patients. There are expectations of adding nearly $71 million in tax revenue for the state and you best believe that there’s major competition for the right space to operate. Michigan is second to California for medical marijuana users and outside investors believe that number could go even higher.
Harvest Park Uses Industrial Park Model
An example of this is Harvest Park in Windsor, Michigan. It is using the industrial park model and applying it to medical marijuana. This company has 130 acres positioned and poised to become the state of Michigan’s epicenter for medical marijuana cultivation, processing, testing and secure transportation. I know you’re wondering how this township of Windsor, a place slightly west of Lansing, Michigan executed this future economic and medical platform for the culture of cannabis and how this recent announcement made Windsor the largest medical marijuana development east of the Mississippi. The Township has set up its program for approval of 138 medical marijuana licenses, 10 class A, 10 class B and 100 class C cultivation licenses. Then another 10 for processing, 3 for secure transporting and 5 for lab testing.
This is where Hudson Park Managing Director Jeff Donahue comes into play. “We’ve worked with the Township and gained approval for the local zoning and ordinances required to enable licensure for all levels of cultivation, processing, testing and secure transport,” said Donahue. Harvest Park has been granted easy access to I69 and I96, which is located directly in the center of Michigan. When it comes to the heavy power demands of this industry, Harvest Park has partnered with one of the major utility companies to ensure all licensed operators have an ample supply of power, redundancy, and competitive rates.
The state of Michigan plans to begin licensing, regulating and taxing medical marijuana by early 2018. Harvest Park is already one leg up on the competition with 70 percent of their fully improved lots sold or pending approval. Also, with the projection of phase two opening early first quarter of 2018 the economic and medical future for the state of Michigan is looking modernly massive with the opening of Harvest Park. The industrial park expects to bring 1000 new jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Michigan is experiencing 4.5% unemployment as of October 2017, which is higher than the nationwide average of 4.1%. Making this a desirable project for the community.
Michigan’s Recreational Use Status
According to the Marijuana Policy Project, “Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol officially submitted ballot language to the state of Michigan today that would legalize adult consumption of marijuana in Michigan and establish a system in which marijuana is regulated and taxed similarly to alcohol. The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol’s initiative would create six categories of licensed marijuana businesses that would be regulated by the state and also be subject to local control.” The site said that the coalition must submit a petition with at least 252,523 valid signatures of registered Michigan voters. MPP also stated that if approved by voters in November 2018, Michigan would follow Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington in legalizing marijuana.
