Medical marijuana provisioning centers that were in danger of being shut down on Thursday will now not have to close their doors.
A judge ruled an October 31 state licensing deadline will not be enforced. The state had moved up the date from December 15.
No provisioning centers in Lansing have received licenses. That’s because the city needs to approve them first – but the process is tied up in appeals. That means without a longer deadline Lansing would be without any provisioning centers.
Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope says he’s relieved because granting licenses is a lengthy process.
“It's going to take time to get it right,” he says.
Swope says he hopes to grant city licenses by mid December.
Jeff Hank of the group MI Legalize says this is an example of checks and balances at its best.
“The judicial branch saved safe patient access and the continued payment by cannabis taxpayers for the state of Michigan which benefits the entire state,” says Hank.
Any upcoming closure deadlines will be debated during a November hearing.
The city of Lansing has also filed a lawsuit against the state over closure deadlines.
