Applications will go live online at 9 a.m. March 1 and be taken on a first-come, first-served basis, he said.
“We’ve got about a month, and we’ve been working very hard with all the major stakeholders across the city to have a smooth process,” Hollowell said.
The city, he added, has sent out information Tuesday to existing shops, alerting them of the upcoming changes.
“We wanted to make it clear in writing,” he said. “Put all of the centers on notice, and we’ve done so.”
The new ordinance will be enforced by the Detroit police and building and safety departments after March 31. If it’s found that shops are not in compliance with the rules, violations will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Council President Brenda Jones on Tuesday said she wants assurances that all shops that violate the new regulations will face equal penalty.
“I think everybody should be treated the same,” she told Hollowell. “If you are not following the law on the books, I don’t care what your case is. Your case is to follow the law.”
According to the ordinance, shops that violate licensing rules can face misdemeanor charges punishable by up to a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail.
Licenses can be suspended, revoked or denied if shops fail to correct violations, have excessive complaints or fail to pay taxes, assessments or other fines, the statute says.
The council signed off on strict licensing rules in October and approved an ordinance that regulated where the dispensaries can locate in December.
Full Report: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2016/02/02/detroit-medical-marijuana-shops/79697186/
