The Politics of Licensing

Not Everyone’s Getting a Michigan Medical Marijuana License

The passage of the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA), which created a commercial licensing structure for Michigan Medical Marijuana businesses, required support from both Republicans and Democrats to pass. On the one side, Democrats favored a more open, less regulated market similar to Oregon’s medical marijuana law, which would allow all but the most unsavory characters to obtain a license. On the other side, Republicans wanted a highly regulated system with only a few large, licensed players—similar to the Ohio ballot initiative that was voted down in 2015.