A group of hopeful applicants plan to camp out for nearly a week for the chance to apply for a medical marijuana dispensary license.
Cars, trucks, and an RV are already lined up outside the Leoni Township Hall, just outside Jackson. The township will begin taking applications for medical marijuana dispensary licenses November 1.
Township officials will approve applications on a first-come, first-served basis - after a check of applicants' qualifications.
Ryan Basore is with Michigan Marijuana Law Experts. He said he's been in line since Thursday evening on behalf of one of his firm's clients.
"This isn’t like a regular 9 to 5, or there’s no set rules. You deal with circumstance and you figure out a way to win, basically," Basore said.
Zoning restrictions cap the number of dispensaries allowed in the township at just six. That's why, Basore said, a shot at one of these licenses is worth the wait.
"It’s created a lot of interest and a lot of buzz," he said.
Jon Bozung is with the Jackson County Compassion Club. He's seventh in line, but said he's sticking around on the off chance that someone ahead of him doesn't meet the qualifications, or that the township decides to increase the dispensary cap in the future.
Bozung said he's been in the medical marijuana business for a long time, but that this is the first time he's camped out to apply for a license.
"It’s similar to a gold rush, I guess I can just put it like that," he said.
Basore said more recreational vehicles were expected to arrive Friday to house those choosing to wait.
