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Attorneys, businesses urge Eastpointe City to allow conversion of medical licenses for adult-use marijuana
Summary
Two speakers — an attorney for an applicant and a representative of Common Citizen — told the council that threatened lawsuits over a conversion licensing approach are unlikely to succeed and urged the city to authorize conversions for existing medical license holders instead of restarting a competitive process.
Attorney David Rudoy, representing Holistic Health Wayne, told the Eastpointe City Council during public comment that threats of litigation over any conversion-orientation for adult-use marijuana licensing are “an attempt to bully the city” and are “baseless.” Rudoy said he provided a legal brief to the city attorney and argued case law gives municipalities broad deference to design and implement competitive licensing processes.
Will DeSessa, speaking for Common Citizen, urged the council to adopt a conversion framework that would give existing medical marijuana licensees the pathway to operate corresponding adult-use facilities rather than restart a new competitive process. DeSessa said the medical market has weakened and that conversion ordinances have been adopted and defended in other Michigan communities, citing Orion, Marengo, Lapeer, Bedford and Waterford as examples.
DeSessa warned that restarting a brand-new competitive process could expose the city to costly litigation, expend staff resources and harm businesses that invested under the medical-licensing regime; he argued the city’s existing competitive process and selection criteria “mirror those that have been used and defended in many other communities.”
Neither speaker reported a specific pending lawsuit as court-filed; both framed their comments as legal and policy advice to the council. No formal action on licensing policy was taken at the meeting. The council thanked the speakers and closed public comment on the topic.
