LANSING — Despite the influx of hundreds of thousands of dollars in licensing fees, Lansing officials say medical marijuana will not be a moneymaker for the city.
The costs of running a medical marijuana program are likely to cancel out gains from any fees collected, Lansing officials have insisted.
Additionally, the state's medical marijuana excise tax — initially billed as a benefit that could reap millions for pot-friendly communities — is slated to bring Lansing much less than anticipated after the legalization of recreational cannabis cut short the tax's lifespan.
Recreational marijuana became legal statewide in December 2018. Michigan voters first legalized medical marijuana in 2008, but it took the state nearly a decade to begin licensing and taxing the businesses that sell the drug to patients.
