Cannabis

The City of Grand Rapids Cannabis program oversees municipal licensing and social equity commitment compliance (when applicable) for cannabis facilities within City limits. Led by the core strategic values of Accountability, Collaboration, Customer Service, Equity, Innovation, and Sustainability, the City partners with this burgeoning industry to create new business opportunities while building a strong equity foundation for the community.

To apply for a facility license, please contact Planning Department staff directly. A significant amount of effort is required to prepare a complete application, and incomplete submissions may significantly affect review timelines. Please select an option below to learn more.

The City of Grand Rapids Zoning Ordinance permits the following cannabis uses:

Grower
Processor
Secure Transporter
Safety Compliance Facility
Provisioning Center (medical) or Retailer (recreational)
Microbusiness

The City has two methods to review cannabis applications:

Director Review: An administrative review done by the Planning Department with immediate effect upon approval. Only some uses are eligible for this method.
Special Land Use: A process involving a Planning Commission public hearing.

The City of Grand Rapids Licensing Ordinance states that:

A business license is mandatory for all cannabis businesses
A business license is non-transferrable
A business license is needed for each cannabis use, in case of collocated or stacked operations

The licensing process is administered by the City Clerk's office, following an interdepartmental review and approval process.

In November 2018, the State of Michigan approved the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana Act (MRTMA). This law allows for recreational possession and use of cannabis and taxation of revenue from participating businesses in the state. Municipalities are empowered to adopt licensing ordinances for cannabis businesses within jurisdictional boundaries. The City Commission adopted such an ordinance on October 8, 2019, effectively establishing the Grand Rapids commercial cannabis market.

The State of Michigan adopted the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA) in September 2016, and the City's medical cannabis zoning ordinance took effect January 18, 2019. This allowed for medical-use applications and establishment of medical cannabis facilities beginning in 2019.

The Cannabis Social Equity Policy is a plan produced by the City of Grand Rapids that applies an equity lens to the cannabis market. Our vision is to welcome the industry, while uplifting members of the community who have been negatively impacted by the criminalization of cannabis. The City encourages all participants in the cannabis industry to follow the recommendations of this policy in pursuit of equity and community growth. You can find copies of these policies for download in the 'Documents & Resources' section below.

AP-22-01 Cannabis Industry Social Equity Compliance
Administrative Policy articulating the process for achieving compliance with social equity commitments in the medical and recreational cannabis industries.

900-58 Marihuana Industry Voluntary Equitable Development Agreement (MIVEDA)
Commission Policy establishing criteria for medical cannabis facility applicants to offer voluntary commitments toward the City’s equity goals in the administration of applications for land use and licensure.

900-59 Cannabis Social Equity Policy (CISEVA)
Commission Policy establishing criteria for recreational cannabis facility applicants to offer voluntary commitments toward the City's equity goals in the administration of applications for land use and licensure.

Licensing Guide

Zoning

The City of Grand Rapids processes land use applications for cannabis businesses as completed and received. The required application materials may include:

Director Review Application
Special Land Use Application
Recreational Cannabis Supplemental Application
MIVEDA/CISEVA Forms
Good Neighbor Plan

Application

The City of Grand Rapids will accept license applications from applicants with prior zoning approvals as completed and received. Applicants should apply no less than thirty (30) days prior to their projected operational start date. All facilities must obtain a local license before operating. See the 'Documents and Resources' section below for a list of submission requirements.

Applications can be made via paper form or through Accela Citizen Access.

Renewal

The City of Grand Rapids requires the following documents for recreational cannabis license renewals:

CISEVA and/or MIVEDA compliance forms (when applicable)
Updated social equity plan
Updated environmental sustainability plan
Proof of compliance with environmental sustainability reporting requirements
Copy of current State license(s)
Copy of security plan
Insurance certificate meeting requirements of Sec. 7.366(g) of the Cannabis Related Municipal Licensing ordinance

Fees

The City of Grand Rapids will charge an annual licensing fee of $5,000 per cannabis use. For first-year applications this fee will include the zoning and licensing process and will be processed by the Planning Department. For license renewals this fee will be processed by the City Clerk. Cannabis Equity Applicants are eligible for fee discounts in some cases.

Documents & Resources