Michigan accelerates medical cannabis business licensing applications

In the past month and a half, the state of Michigan has dramatically increased turnaround times for processing and approving medical cannabis business license applications.

In May alone, the new state Marijuana Regulatory Agency (MRA) ruled on 213 medical cannabis business permit applications, the Detroit Free Press reported.

That’s up from an average of 95 per month by the agency’s predecessor, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, which Gov. Gretchen Whitmer disbanded earlier this year.

The MRA issued 40 business permits, according to MLive.com, while the other 173 were either denied or given preliminary approval.

Michigan now has 202 licensed MMJ businesses, including about 100 dispensaries, the news outlet reported.

The MRA will accept recreational cannabis business license applications starting in autumn after regulations are finalized, likely later this month.

With Michigan’s adult-use cannabis market set to roll out later this year, the quicker pace is key to having everything ready, the agency’s director, Andrew Brisbo, told the Free Press.

A big part of that is the new MRA, which can act faster than its predecessor.