Medical marijuana has been legal in Michigan since 2008. Recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan in 2018. This opened the door for a massive amount of potential revenue for entrepreneurs as well as for municipalities who have these ventures as part of their tax base. Along with that potential revenue comes questions about the safety and environment associated with recreational pot shops. The cities of Port Huron and Marysville have banned recreational marijuana shops, with Marysville having a permanent ban and Port Huron having a temporary ban that expires next summer. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency started accepting applications for recreational marijuana businesses on November 1, so you can expect to see legal marijuana shops popping up any day now in cities that allow them. While possessing and using marijuana is no longer illegal, it’s not a free-for-all for pot smokers. It is illegal to consume marijuana in a car, even as a passenger. Buyers can’t take it out of state. While it is possible to see marijuana smoking areas at public venues, places that receive federal funding, like college campuses, will not allow marijuana, and workers can still get fired if they test positive for marijuana use. So, while legal, users have a lot to think about before they light up. There are a lot of unknowns for the state and the Blue Water area as the practical details of legal pot play out.
