Halloween was supposed to be the deadline for medical marijuana businesses to get their state licenses or risk being closed down by the state.
But once again, a Michigan judge has pushed back that licensing deadline.
On Tuesday, Michigan Court of Claims Judge Stephen Borrello granted a temporary stay on an Oct. 31 licensing deadline, meaning dispensaries can keep their doors open without a state license.
The Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs is reviewing the order, spokesman David Harns said.
According to the state, 215 marijuana businesses have been operating under temporary emergency rules that were set to expire Wednesday.
Before the ruling, those businesses were set to receive cease and desist letters and would have to close if they want to have a shot at getting a license from the state in the future.
The case will be back before Borello on Nov. 9 at 1 p.m
Early Tuesday, the city of Lansing filed suit against the state seeking an injunction on the Oct. 31 licensing deadline.
Lansing City Ordinance allows for a total of twenty first-phase and five second-phase licensed marijuana provisioning centers in city limits. The Lansing City Clerk is working to complete the process to issue the first twenty licenses. But due to the city's on-going litigation regarding its license application system, the city has not awarded any licenses.
“The December 15th deadline was set previously, and we can hit that target,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said in a statement. “However, the state keeps moving the target and that will have a negative effect on the ability of Lansing residents to get this Michigan legal medicine that they need.”
"The city of Lansing will continue to pursue the complaint to obtain both permanent injunctive and declaratory relief," Schor said. The city will continue to process applications in the meantime.
