The Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association today called on the Michigan Senate to scrap proposed legislation that would allow microbusinesses to skirt licensing requirements and do an end-run around the will of the voters. Senate Bill 1095 would create an unfair playing field, opening the floodgates to so-called microbusinesses that would not have to play by the same rules as already established Michigan companies and allow them to flourish without making the investment and infrastructure for state-of-the-art facilities or paying their fair share of taxes.
In a letter sent to the Senate today, the MCMA strongly urged senators not to bring the bill to a vote.
“Microbusinesses were sold to voters as small-business, single-location ‘mom and pop’ operations — a brewpub concept allowing small investors to enter the cannabis space with reduced cost,” said Steve Linder, Michigan Cannabis Manufacturers Association executive director. “Senate Bill 1095 goes way beyond what voters intended or imagined and changes the rules of the game midstream. This bill undermines the massive investment and risks of all growers and processors, regardless of scale. It would allow microbusinesses to do an end run around the licensing process, which undermines the integrity of a system which is just now beginning to work. This is a slap in the face to the manufacturers and entrepreneurs who have played by the rules and acquired class A, B and C licenses, each of which costs hundreds of thousands — if not millions — of dollars.”