Bay City looks to Start Welcoming Pot Businesses

While Michigan legalized Marijuana use recreationally in December, Bay City aims to be one of the first cities in the state to allow businesses to start growing and selling the plant.

Following three separate 6-2 votes by the Bay City Board of Commissioners, recreational marijuana will follow nearly the same guidelines as medical marijuana when registering and zoning within Bay City limits.

City Manager Dana Muscott says the measures and ordinance updates are a way to get the programs going quickly, while allowing businesses a better understanding of what needs to be done.

The votes also allowed for 25 recreational provisioning centers and 25 growing centers to begin their adaptation to the city. All new applicants, Recreational or Medical,  will need to pay a $5,000 local application fee.

Muscott says ordinance updates will also change how both recreational and medical pot shops register with the city and will allow for the funds to be utilized more effectively.