Detroit dispensaries

Detroit’s dispensary scene has faced many challenges over the course of a decade following the state’s legalization of medical marijuana. For a brief time, there were more than 280 dispensaries illegally operating prior to a city-wide crackdown.

In May 2022, Doghouse Farms, a grow operation on the metro’s east side, was issued Detroit’s first recreational marijuana business license, approximately 4 years after the state’s 2018 passing of recreational cannabis. The 70+ medical dispensaries in Detroit are still waiting on adult-use sales to be green-lit though, causing them to struggle as consumers flock to the suburbs where the cannabis dispensaries do not require an MMJ card. The latest city ordinance passed in July 2022 will award licenses for up to 100 dispensaries, 30 micro-businesses, and 30 consumption lounges later this year.

Detroit is home to a number of popular medical dispensaries that offer quality cannabis products. Utopia Gardens is one of the closer dispensaries to Detroit’s city center and is a local favorite. This boutique marijuana provisioning center frequently hosts engaging community events and gives back to neighborhood charities Utopia Gardens was also the first medical dispensary licensed to offer weed delivery service in Michigan.

If you are looking for Detroit dispensaries within the city suburbs that serve qualified medical patients, consider House of Dank Cannabis Dispensary Detroit or Jars Dispensary Detroit. Their wide variety of high-quality medical marijuana and great customer service earns them both high ratings from their patients. Another one of the best dispensaries in Detroit would be Cookies Dispensary Detroit, which is part of a nationally recognized brand offering its own unique selection of strains in various forms of cannabis products.

Detroit dispensary hours

Most cannabis dispensaries in Detroit are open from 9 am to 9 pm, with some open even later. Dispensaries are allowed to operate seven days a week and are usually open on holidays and during special events. You can verify the operating hours of your favorite Detroit dispensary at any time using Leafly.com.

Items to bring to a dispensary in Detroit, MI

To enter a recreational dispensary in Detroit, you must present a valid identification card, such as a driver's license, to verify you are at least 21 years old. Detroit recreational dispensaries will accept your out-of-state driver's license if you visit from an outside state.

Medical marijuana cards from outside states are accepted at medical dispensaries in Detroit. Only medical marijuana patients with a valid medical marijuana card may enter a medical dispensary in Michigan. Medical marijuana cards in Michigan are issued by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).

Estimated wait times for Detroit dispensaries

When recreational dispensaries first opened their doors in Detroit, consumer demand was so high that many customers experienced long wait times to purchase cannabis—up to an hour or more. Since then, more cannabis stores have opened, fulfilling the high demand for cannabis across cities in Michigan. While wait times are not as long as they used to be, prepare to spend at least 15-20 minutes waiting in line, especially during the COVID era when establishments try to discourage overcrowding in small spaces.

How to find legit dispensaries in Detroit

Detroit residents new to retail cannabis may wonder what makes a dispensary legitimate. Legit dispensaries are dispensaries that have a legal license to operate. Today, there are over 70 total licensed and legitimate medical dispensaries in Detroit. You can verify adult-use dispensary licenses through the Cannabis Regulatory Agency of Michigan or see a complete list of licensed marijuana dispensaries in Michigan on Leafly.com.

Detroit cannabis tax breakdown

Cardholding medical marijuana patients in Detroit only have to pay the state’s 6% sales tax. Recreational cannabis sales in dispensaries near Detroit have an additional 10% excise cannabis tax on their products.

Dispensaries in Detroit are cash-only

Like most cities with legal cannabis, Detroit requires all cannabis purchases to be cash. Fortunately, most local cannabis shops have ATMs to allow you to take out money for a small fee. Detroit dispensaries are cash-only because banks operate on the federal level, where marijuana is still illegal, making banks unable to accept anything but cash from dispensaries. Dispensaries in Detroit do not accept personal checks, credit cards, debit cards, or cryptocurrency as forms of payment for cannabis products.

Michigan has passed laws outlining where people can and cannot smoke weed. Essentially, Michigan's consumption laws outlaw public cannabis consumption in Detroit. There are only a few key locations where you are free to safely smoke and enjoy cannabis in Detroit, including:

• Inside a home that you own
• Inside a home that you rent with the landlord's written permission

How to transport weed in Detroit

It's important to note that Michigan has passed laws regarding the transportation of cannabis and consumption laws, and they work similarly to the state's open container laws. To safely and legally transport cannabis legally in Detroit, you must meet the following requirements:

• Cannabis can only be transported by an adult aged 21 years old or older
• Individuals may not consume cannabis while driving
• Cannabis must be in an unopened container with seals
• The amount of cannabis transported may not exceed 2.5 ounces of marijuana

In Detroit, it is illegal to drive under the influence of cannabis. Penalties for driving under the influence of cannabis start with 93 days of jail time and a fine of up to $500 and/or 360 hours of community service. These penalties continue to increase based on the second or third offense. Medical marijuana patients may be the exception to this rule.

Detroit, Michigan’s history of political intervention and failed equity ordinances surrounding medical and recreational marijuana has left dispensaries falling behind other cities in the state.

A few years after the state of Michigan legalized medical marijuana, Detroit saw an influx of hundreds of dispensaries pop up. With a low barrier to entry, many Detroiters seized the opportunity to pursue entrepreneurship, opening their businesses in abandoned storefronts and closed-down restaurants. Soon, city officials began intervening to ease the saturated market by passing zoning restrictions, leading to raids and the mass closure of Detroit dispensaries that had only been open for a short time. The majority of dispensaries that remained were mostly owned by wealthy white individuals.

When Michigan launched recreational marijuana sales in December 2019, city officials in Detroit decided to take a more cautious approach by temporarily prohibiting non-medical sales. The delay’s purpose was to first establish an ordinance that would give priority to business opportunities for Detroit residents and underserved communities. The belief was that this approach would rectify the mistakes of the past by ensuring the new industry would not be dominated by outside parties and instead provide economic benefit to those living in the city and among marginalized communities. Despite the ordinance’s good intentions, lawsuits were soon filed and it was deemed unconstitutional by a federal judge. After two more revisions and a second lawsuit, the Detroit City Council approved an adult-use cannabis ordinance in April of 2022. Dispensary business licenses in Detroit began being issued a month later.

Medical and recreational dispensaries in Detroit offer a wide selection of local cannabis products and strains ranging in price, quality, potency, and unique cannabinoid combinations (Ex. high THC, low CBD). Cannabis products widely available in Detroit dispensaries include cannabis flower, THC concentrates, THC edibles, cartridges, and pre-rolls.