With the December 15th deadline approaching for marijuana facilities in Lansing to apply for licenses, some dispensary owners are finishing up their applications, and others are cutting their losses. WKAR’s Katie Cook has more.
Mike Barron does press and marketing for Got Meds Lounge on South Cedar. He says their attorney is handling the application for their city license.
“After we make that hurdle, we’ll go to the state level and see if we can make that hurdle.”
Barron says the application is detailed and thorough.
“They sure want a lot of information and business plans, and some of the answers they’re asking for are predicting the future. ‘How many employees are you gonna have?’ Well, until I get a license, we’re gonna start out with three, or something, you know? It’s gonna be minimum to start out, and we’re gonna have to add to that list as we go.”
Barron is hopeful that Got Meds will be receive their license and be able to stay open. He says if they had to close, it would not be good for the patients.
“I think it would be devastating. I think it’s gonna be devastating for Lansing even with 48 stores, the world as we know it is gonna change in Lansing here soon. A lot of people are gonna be devastated, and each store has its own set of things that bring people in. Got Meds usually is the cheapest price point of every store in the state of Michigan. That’s what they’re famous for.”
Danny Trevino is the owner of Hydroworld, also on South Cedar. Hydroworld has been open since 2004 and selling medical marijuana since 2008. Trevino says that after some consideration, he’s decided not to apply for a license.
“I got halfway through that ordinance and I was like, man, I am just so tired of fighting for this business. And then to fight through this ordinance like this and that only be half the hump, I still gotta get legal through the state. It’s just not in my heart anymore. I’ve kinda tired and beat up through the years. I think I’m gonna take a break.”
He says the medical marijuana business isn’t that profitable anyway, and he hopes to keep Hydroworld open without it.
“We’re still gonna do clinics, so we’re still gonna get people their medical marijuana cards. By sticking to the clinics and the consulting I think I’ll be fine.”
