The wait is nearly over for Michigan residents eager for the state’s new adult-use marijuana law to take effect.
On Thursday, just 30 days after state voters said yes to Proposal 1, a lot of what’s been illegal about marijuana suddenly becomes legal in Michigan.
But what exactly happens? Here are answers to key questions about recreational pot in Michigan:
So on Dec. 6, I can legally own and use pot in Michigan?
Yes, if you’re in Michigan and are 21 or older, you can possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana anywhere, anytime, said Josh Hovey, spokesman for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. That means you could legally have it in your car, or in your bag if you drop by the courthouse on business.
But you cannot consume it in your vehicle or in public. Using pot in a public place is prohibited, as is smoking it where it’s prohibited by whoever owns or manages the property.
And while you can have up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana, no more than 15 grams of it can be in the form of a marijuana concentrate.
Also, the new law will allow you to possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana in your home. Any amount over 2.5 ounces must be locked away.
Where will I be able to buy marijuana?
Nowhere yet, not until retail shops open sometime in 2020.
Until then, the law allows one adult to give for free up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana to another adult. Also, if you live in Michigan, you will be able to grow marijuana in your home as of Thursday.
Adult-use retail marijuana shops probably won’t open until the first quarter of 2020, according to David Harns, public information officer with the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.