New medical marijuana laws in place in Detroit

DETROIT (WJBK) - Detroit has a new set of medical marijuana laws that officially went into effect on Thursday that requires owners of dispensaries to have a license to do business.

The new laws were put into place after months of back-and-forth and is requiring the proprieters of pot shops to have a license to sell. This is no easy task, as Chronic Solutions owner Wesam Younes can attest.

"It has to be regulated with the city. we have to work together," Younes said. "Floor plans, site plans, a lot of applications, a lot of information you have to give, a lot of information they need from me."

The city also requires background checks and owners to have no felony convictions. These new regulationsa re all done in an effort to weed out some of the 200 marijuana shops in the city.

Martinez Flowers thinks this is the beginning of the end of the criminilization of marijuana.
 
"I believe its a beautiful day in history of Michigan because it's the first step to legalization," Martinez said.

Despite that thought, the city says legalization is not the goal for these medical dispensaries.

Rhea Franklin isn't convinced of medical marijuana's benefits.

"(It's) not the right kind of medicine. I work at a facility. Come see my doctor, he'll give you medicine")

The new rules are strict, too. No dispensaries can open within 1,000 feet of a liquor store, a church, school, or another dispensary. Younes agrees with the regulations.

"They need to be shut them down. The ones that are working properly, they need to stay open. The ones that are doing illegal things and not looking too good, if there are too many of them in certain areas, shut them down."

There are other restrictions and licenses must be renewed every year. But the application process starts now. Younes said the regulations are needed, even if that means his shop can't pass the requirements.