Michigan Golf Journal February 2019

Michigan’s Proposal 1 which, among other things, legalizes ƚŚĞ ĂĚƵůƚ ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂů ƵƐĞ of marijuana, went into ĞīĞĐƚ ŽŶ ĞĐĞŵďĞƌ ϲ͕ ϮϬϭϴ͘ tŚŝůĞ ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂů ĐĂŶŶĂďŝƐ is legal in Michigan, that doesn’t mean adults of age can consume marijuana everywhere – in fact golf ĐŽƵƌƐĞƐ ĂƌĞ Žī ůŝŵŝƚƐ ĨŽƌ ƚŚŝƐ type of ‘weed.’ Public cannabis ĐŽŶƐƵŵƉƟŽŶ ŝƐ ƐƚƌŝĐƚůLJ ŝůůĞŐĂů in Michigan, as is driving ƵŶĚĞƌ ƚŚĞ ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ marijuana. You might think that since you can enjoy a cigar or a Marlboro while playing your golf round that ŶŽ ŽŶĞ ǁŝůů ŶŽƟĐĞ ŝĨ LJŽƵ ĂƌĞ ƐŵŽŬŝŶŐ ͞ƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐ ĞůƐĞ͘͟ Please don’t get caught up in ƚŚĂƚ ĂƐƐƵŵƉƟŽŶ͘ It’s important to note that consumers won’t be able to purchase legal cannabis commercially right away. Michigan’s cannabis sales ǁŽŶ͛ƚ ďĞŐŝŶ ƵŶƟů ĞĂƌůLJ ϮϬϮϬ ĂƐ ƐƚĂƚĞ ůĂǁŵĂŬĞƌƐ ƐƟůů ŶĞĞĚ ƚŽ ŝƌŽŶ ŽƵƚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ĂŶĚ licensing. Nevertheless, ten ĚĂLJƐ ĂŌĞƌ ƚŚĞ ĐĞƌƟĮĐĂƟŽŶ ŽĨ ĞůĞĐƟŽŶ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ĐĂŶŶĂďŝƐ ǁĂƐ ŽĸĐŝĂůůLJ ůĞŐĂů ĨŽƌ ĂĚƵůƚƐ Ϯϭ years of age or older. That said, you cannot smoke (or consume) marijuana in public. Or drive under the ŝŶŇƵĞŶĐĞ͘ dŚĂƚ͛Ɛ ƐƟůů ŝůůĞŐĂů͘ And just because you can ĐŽŶƐƵŵĞ ŝƚ͕ LJŽƵ ƐƟůů ĐĂŶ͛ƚ buy it. There is currently no legal place to purchase ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂů ĐĂŶŶĂďŝƐ ŝŶ ŽƵƌ state. Michigan’s state and local governments must ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚ ƌĞŐƵůĂƟŽŶƐ ďĞĨŽƌĞ products hit the shelves. That will take about two years, as the ŝŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ gives the state’s Department of Licensing and ZĞŐƵůĂƚŽƌLJ īĂŝƌƐ Ϯϰ ŵŽŶƚŚƐ ƚŽ ĐƌĞĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƐƚĂƌƚ ĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŶŐ ůŝĐĞŶƐĞƐ͘ /ŶŝƟĂů ƌĞƉŽƌƚƐ ƉƌĞĚŝĐƚ ƚŚĞ ĮƌƐƚ ƌĞĐƌĞĂƟŽŶĂů ĐĂŶŶĂďŝƐ dispensaries in Michigan are to open in early 2020. Regardless of when the state completes the process to allow you to purchase ŵĂƌŝũƵĂŶĂ͕ LJŽƵ ǁŝůů ƐƟůů ŶŽƚ be able to consume it in public, including on the golf course. So, grab a beer, legally purchased at your favorite golf course. And enjoy in ŵŽĚĞƌĂƟŽŶ͕ ŽĨ ĐŽƵƌƐĞ͘ DON’T GET CAUGHT IN THE WEEDS By Kate Moore Weed Control