Michigan issued the very first recreational marijuana microbusiness license to a company in Presque Isle County’s Onaway this week.
The business, Sticky Bush Farms owned by Benjamin Kolasa according to state licensing records, is allowed to grow up to 150 plants, the marijuana from which may then be processed into oil, edibles or other marijuana products, packaged and sold from a retail shop.
The license is meant for small, self-contained businesses that are not allowed to interact with the rest of the licensed market, meaning they can’t acquire marijuana or marijuana products from outside growers, processors or retailers, and may not sell any products to other marijuana dispensaries or retailers.
MLive has reached out to the owner and is awaiting response.
The Marijuana Regulatory Agency, the licensing body for Michigan commercial marijuana market, has issued more than 300 licenses for recreational marijuana growers, processors, safety labs, retailers and transporters since December, but this is the first microbusiness.
“This is a complex license type incorporating the functions of three other license types,” Marijuana Regulatory Agency spokesman David Harns said. “The license type also presents a challenge to municipalities as to zoning because of the diversity of function occurring in a single location.”
Onaway City Manager Kelli Stockwell said it’s been a long process to license the business. The owners first approached the city last year and City Council approved the request in October. Onaway officials decided to allow two microbusinesses but no other marijuana business types in their community.
No one has submitted a request to snatch up the second microbusiness slot, Stockwell said.
The business is slated to open in a small industrial park outside the 800-resident community’s downtown, the city manager said. It’s not clear at this time when that may happen, but products won’t likely become available until after at least one marijuana grow cycle, which can easily take several months.
The state doesn’t have any other microbusiness licensed under review at this time. The only other recreational marijuana license type that hasn’t been issued to date is for hosts of marijuana events that include sales and consumption.
Michigan’s recreational marijuana market is booming, as it has throughout the coronavirus pandemic. August sales statewide approached $60 million, not including another nearly $50 million in medical marijuana that was also sold.
Recreational sales in July surpassed medical marijuana sales for the first time since recreational sales began Dec. 1. Industry projections that forecast recreational marijuana becoming a $1 billion-plus industry by 2021 indicate there’s no looking back.
More on MLive:
Recreational marijuana sales surpass medical
More marijuana options could be coming to Michigan this fall
Michigan businesses licensed tow grow over 500,000 plants
Marijuana thrives in market changed by the coronavirus
Spouses of licensees may be able to work for government
A prior marijuana conviction could be a good thing