Lowell Will Have Kent County’s First Pot Shop

Owners of a Northern Michigan medical marijuana distributorship say they're on track to open Kent County's first recreational marijuana location in early 2020.

MLive.com is reporting that Scott Schroeder and Michael Atkins, the founders and owners of Meds Cafe are planning to have a recreational facility up and running in Lowell as early as January of 2020.

The pair has purchased the old Family Video building on Main Street and are in the process of converting it to what will be a full service marijuana distribution store.

The men have the state pre-qualification in hand and are currently working with Lowell city officials to be fully permitted and licensed there.

Lowell and Grand Rapids are the only two Kent County cities to say they will allow recreational marijuana stores. Voters legalized marijuana in the 2018 election.

Lowell City Manager Michael Burns told MLive that five groups have sought marijuana permits through the city, but Meds Cafe is the closest to being ready.

The pair's first medical marijuana store is located up north near Rogers City.

Michigan's Marijuana Regulatory Commission last week announced that they had upped the date for recreational pot sales to December 1, 2019. An Ann Arbor location is expected to be the first store up and running.

Schroeder told MLive that he expects to be very busy when they open up, as they will be serving a wide area in south central Michigan.

“People that are consumers of marijuana are going to drive around, they’re going to look at the reviews, look at the strains and if you have good product, they’re going to come. It doesn’t matter where you’re at, they’re going to come. Realistically, we’re going to service probably the whole southern part of Michigan, really.”