Federal update: DOJ partially rescheduled medical cannabis to Schedule III (April 28, 2026 final order). State-licensed medical operators may apply for expedited DEA registration through June 27, 2026; DEA hearing on full rescheduling set for June 29, 2026.
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Detroit Office of Cannabis Affairs

The Detroit Office of Cannabis Affairs (OCA), led by Director Kim James, sits in the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department. The Detroit Cannabis Project / HomeGrown Detroit incubator provides technical assistance, mentoring, capital connections, and city-owned property to social-equity applicants.

Last verified: April 2026

The Office of Cannabis Affairs

The Detroit Office of Cannabis Affairs (OCA), formerly the Office of Marijuana Ventures & Entrepreneurship, sits within the Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department (CRIO). The OCA is led by Director Kim James.

What the OCA Does

The OCA handles:

  • Local cannabis licensing — the city-level license that operates alongside the CRA state license; both are required to operate a Detroit cannabis business
  • The Detroit Cannabis Project / HomeGrown Detroit incubator — technical assistance, mentoring, financing referrals, city-owned property access for qualifying applicants
  • The social-equity fund supported by statutory cannabis revenue sharing
  • Compliance and enforcement at the city level, including the 2025 advertising-restriction ordinance (1,000 ft from schools, parks, libraries)
  • Renewals for existing license holders
  • Hemp / Delta-8 enforcement at the city level alongside state-level CRA work

Contact and Address

  • Address: Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, 2 Woodward Avenue, Suite 1240, Detroit, MI 48226
  • Phone: (313) 418-9217
  • Email: homegrown@detroitmi.gov
  • Website: detroitmi.gov/departments/civil-rights-inclusion-opportunity-department/office-cannabis-affairs (and homegrowndetroit.org)

The Detroit Cannabis Project (HomeGrown Detroit)

The Detroit Cannabis Project, branded HomeGrown Detroit, is the city’s incubator program for social-equity applicants. The program provides:

  • Technical assistance — navigating the dual state + city licensing process, business-plan development, regulatory compliance
  • Mentoring — pairing prospective licensees with experienced operators
  • Capital connections — introductions to lenders and investors familiar with cannabis operations
  • City-owned property access — first-look access to city-owned commercial properties suitable for cannabis retail or microbusiness use
  • Legacy Detroiter support — the post-Lowe-ruling Legacy Detroiter category gets mentoring, financing assistance, and city-property opportunities (no licensing-eligibility preference)

Round 3 — Pending

As of April 2026, the city has not announced or opened a Round 3 application window despite the ordinance authorizing up to 160 total licenses. The OCA has shifted focus to license renewals, hemp/Delta-8 enforcement, and advertising restrictions. Prospective Round 3 applicants should:

  • Pre-position real estate before the window opens
  • Connect with the HomeGrown Detroit program for technical assistance
  • Maintain CRA pre-qualification status (the state-level prerequisite)
  • Track OCA notices via homegrowndetroit.org for application-window announcements

The 2025 Advertising-Restriction Ordinance

In March 2025, James Tate’s Council unanimously passed an ordinance banning marijuana and vape advertisements within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and libraries. The ordinance reflected the Council’s ongoing balancing of legal-cannabis market expansion against community concerns about visible commercial-cannabis presence near sensitive uses.

Hemp / Delta-8 Enforcement

The OCA has taken on an expanded enforcement role around intoxicating hemp-derived products (Delta-8, Delta-9 hemp beverages) sold outside the licensed cannabis system. James Tate authored a January 2025 memo to the Law Department to draft regulation of intoxicating hemp-derived products. The federal-state legal ambiguity around intoxicating hemp creates an enforcement gap that the OCA is filling at the city level.

The Statutory Cannabis Revenue Share

Michigan’s MRTMA tax structure includes statutory revenue-sharing with adult-use municipalities and counties. Detroit, as the state’s largest adult-use jurisdiction by license count (61 licensed businesses as of FY2025), receives substantial revenue from this stream. Per Michigan Treasury data, Detroit received approximately $3.3 million in cannabis tax revenue sharing for FY2025 — revenue that funds the OCA’s operations, the HomeGrown Detroit incubator, and broader city-budget priorities.

Director Kim James

Director Kim James leads the OCA. The director coordinates with:

  • The Civil Rights, Inclusion & Opportunity Department leadership
  • The Mayor’s Office (Mayor Mary Sheffield as of January 2026; previously Mayor Mike Duggan)
  • City Council, particularly Council President James Tate (the architect of both ordinances)
  • The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) at the state level
  • The Detroit Police Department’s Major Violators / Narcotics unit on enforcement matters
  • The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office on prosecution matters

For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org

Related on this site: The Detroit Equity Ordinance Fight, The 2022 Revised Ordinance.