YPSILANTI, Mich. – The first recreational marijuana dispensary has opened in Ypsilanti.
Oz Cannabis, just outside of Depot Town in downtown Ypsilanti, is the first to receive both city and state approval as a marijuana retailer selling medical and adult-use (recreational) cannabis.
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The store will celebrate its grand opening with an event on Friday, July 17, with special guests, including former Red Wings star Darren McCarty and former Wolverines star Braylon Edwards, along with other local leaders.
Oz Cannabis is also constructing a social-use lounge, where store-bought products can be consumed but not purchased.
Oz Cannabis founder, Nemer Haddad, a lifelong Detroit-area entrepreneur, says he’s proud of the company’s Ypsilanti location.
“Ypsilanti is flourishing and is on the rise,” Haddad said. “We bought an Ann Arbor location, then sold it just to locate in Ypsilanti. We love the culture, from Depot Town to the south side neighborhoods.”
Oz Cannabis is located in the same building as the historic 3rd Coast dispensary, which began in 2009, at 19 N. Hamilton. Oz operates four other stores in Michigan, including Detroit, with two more under construction in Owosso and Meridian Township. The group also has facilities in Missouri and Oklahoma. (More in their Instagram page)
In 2018, Michigan voted to legalize recreational marijuana by an 11-point margin. 50 of Michigan’s 83 counties voted in favor of the proposal. It has been legal in the state since Dec. 2018.
Related: Michigan voted to legalize marijuana in 2018, but many communities have opted out of sales
Michigan regulators starting accepting license applications in late 2019 and are slowly working to activate them, in accordance with marijuana laws in the state.
Marijuana sales have been booming in the state during the coronavirus pandemic, even while dispensaries, including Oz, are offering curbside and delivery options.