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State begins accepting marijuana business applications

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The state began accepting applications today from people who want to become licensed growers, distributors, and retailers of recreational marijuana.

It’s been a year since Michigan voters approved allowing people to grow, sell and buy marijuana for recreational use. Michigan joins 10 other states as well as Washington DC, which have also approved recreational marijuana.

Andrew Brisbo heads Michigan’s Marijuana Regulatory Agency.  He said Michigan will keep an eye on those jurisdictions -- and learn from its own experiences with a rapidly evolving industry.

“We’re in that position, as is everyone with an industry as new as this, that we don’t know what we don’t know yet.”

The state has ninety days now to say “yes” or “no” to the first applicants. Brisbo said his agency needs to make sure the legal product is safe and affordable so people don’t continue to turn to the black market to buy marijuana.