The Detroit City Council voted on Tuesday to extend a moratorium on selling recreational marijuana in the city. The moratorium, which was initially set to end on January 31, has been extended while the city drafts an ordinance to regulate the industry.
Detroit City Councilman James Tate says regulation is important to ensure the industry is accessible to Detroit residents.
"If there's no intervention, you'll have a number of individuals living in the city where the industry is located not being able to participate because of various barriers of entry, whether those be financial or structural," Tate says.
He says the city "will not be rushed" while working to remove those barriers for Detroit residents.
Michigan began legal sales of recreational marijuana in December 2019, but more than1,400 cities and townships in Michigan have opted out of allowing retail sales.
