Four Things to Know for Medical Marijuana Facility Applicants

(LARA, Dec. 13, 2017)

Lansing, MI – The Dept. of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) will be ready to accept applications for medical marihuana facility licenses beginning this Friday, December 15, 2017. The department is prepared to accept applications for all license types – grower, processor, secure transporter, provisioning center and safety compliance facility licenses.

“Designing and implementing the regulatory framework for this new industry has been a year-long effort by the entire Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation team. We are ready to accept applications by the deadline set in statute,” said LARA Director Shelly Edgerton. “There are several user-friendly application methods that prospective licensees can utilize. We look forward to administering fair and efficient regulations for business customers while ensuring that medical marihuana patients are protected.”

The Bureau of Medical Marihuana Regulation (BMMR) announced four things today that applicants should know as they begin their preparations to apply for their medical marihuana facility license:

Applications and supporting documentation will be accepted online.

A link will be available online at Michigan.gov/BMMR that directs the applicant to the online application. Many of the application forms will need to be printed, notarized, and uploaded as part of the online application process. Payment for the application fee may be made online by credit card or electronic check.

Alternatively, an applicant may finish the application online, print the acceptance page and bring it with them to pay the application fee in person at the Ottawa Building in downtown Lansing during normal business hours beginning at 8:00am. See #2 for further details on how to pay the application fee in person.

No online applications will be accepted prior to 12:01am. An application instruction booklet is available for both the paper and online applications.

Paper applications will be accepted in person or via mail.

Paper applications will be accepted in person beginning at 8:00am on December 15, 2017. Paper applications will also be accepted via mail or delivery service. Any packages postmarked prior to December 15, 2017 will be rejected and returned to sender.

Applicants who are interested in applying in person may do so at the Ottawa Building in downtown Lansing during normal business hours beginning at 8:00am, Monday through Friday. Applicants will enter the building from the south (courtyard) side of the building. The Ottawa Building is located at 611 W. Ottawa, Lansing, MI 48933. There will be signs directing applicants to the courtyard entrance of the Ottawa Building.

Credit cards, money orders, checks and cash will be acceptable methods to pay the application fee. Applicants paying in cash must pay the exact amount as there will be no change given.

An application instruction booklet is available for both the paper and online applications.

BMMR will be utilizing a two-step application process for medical marihuana facility licensing.

This two-step process will allow applicants to begin the application process by completing step one (Pre-Qualification) before a location for the medical marihuana facility is established.

If applicants have a location secured, they will have the option of submitting step one and step two (License Qualification) materials at the same time. This two-step process is the same, whether the application is done online or via a paper application.

For more information on the two-step application process, click here.

The applicant must have all documents and forms completely filled out and payment must be received before an application is considered complete.

Before an applicant’s materials can be reviewed and processed by BMMR, the $6,000 application fee must be paid, either in-person or online. Pre-Qualification (step one) may be completed before an applicant has a physical location for its business. While the application is being processed, a BMMR representative will be assigned to each applicant and will stay in communication throughout the process.

An applicant cannot be issued a license until all requirements in the MMFLA and administrative rules are met. After License Qualification (step two) is completed, BMMR will present the completed application to the Medical Marihuana Licensing Board (MMLB). Upon approval from the MMLB, an applicant will be required to pay a regulatory assessment for each license. Once the regulatory assessment is received, the license(s) will be issued.

For more information on BMMR, please visit: www.michigan.gov/bmmr

For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara
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