James Tate, Mike Duggan & Mary Sheffield

Legal Disclaimer: This information reflects Detroit cannabis law as of June 2026 and is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Laws and regulations change — always verify current rules with the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency or a qualified attorney. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

Last verified: April 2026

Council President James Tate — The Architect

James Tate (D-District 1, elected Council President as of January 5, 2025) is the architect of both Detroit cannabis ordinances. Tate sponsored the original 2020 Detroit Legacy ordinance unanimously approved on November 24, 2020 and the revised 2022 two-track ordinance approved 8-1 on April 5, 2022. The Council elected Tate to the presidency in a 5-4 vote in January 2025, with Coleman Young II as President Pro Tempore.

Tate’s political identity is closely tied to cannabis policy and to the broader project of leveraging cannabis legalization for equity outcomes in a city where 30 times more Black Detroiters were convicted of cannabis crimes than the rest of Michigan during the prohibition era (Tate’s frequently cited statistic). Tate has continued to push cannabis-adjacent policy in 2025:

January 2025 memo to the Law Department to draft regulation of intoxicating hemp-derived products (Delta-8, Delta-9 hemp beverages)
March 2025 unanimous Council vote on an ordinance banning marijuana and vape advertisements within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, and libraries

Former Mayor Mike Duggan (D, 2014–2026)

Mike Duggan served as Detroit’s mayor from January 2014 through January 2026 — three terms, 12 years. Duggan was Wayne County Prosecutor before becoming CEO of the Detroit Medical Center; he won the 2013 mayoral race as a write-in candidate after a residency dispute kept him off the printed ballot. Duggan shepherded both adult-use ordinances and publicly accepted Friedman’s 2021 ruling without abandoning the equity vision.

Duggan’s December 2022 statement when the first 33 licenses were awarded:

“Our goal from the day voters approved the sale of adult use marijuana was to make sure we had a city ordinance and a process in place that provides fair and equitable access to these licenses, and the courts have affirmed that we’ve done just that.”

Duggan announced in late 2024 that he would not seek a fourth term and is now running for Michigan governor in 2026 as an independent — an unusual move that has scrambled the state’s gubernatorial race.

Mayor Mary Sheffield (D, January 2026 — present)

Mary Sheffield, the longtime District 5 City Council member and Council President (2022–2026), defeated Triumph Church senior pastor Solomon Kinloch Jr. on November 4, 2025, with 77% of the vote in a record landslide. Sheffield, 38 at her election, became:

The first woman ever elected mayor of Detroit
The city’s 76th mayor

She has not, as of April 2026, signaled any major change to the cannabis ordinance, which her predecessor and her former Council colleague James Tate built together. Her policy emphasis has been on housing, family services, gun-violence prevention, and continuing the Project Clean Slate expungement program (now in its tenth year). The cannabis policy posture is one of continuity with the Tate-Duggan structural design.

The City Council

The 9-member Detroit City Council has 7 district members and 2 at-large members. Beyond Tate (Council President) and Coleman Young II (President Pro Tempore), key cannabis-relevant Council figures include:

Coleman A. Young II (At-Large, President Pro Tempore) — Son of the former mayor
Latisha Johnson (D-District 4) — Cannabis-aware progressive
Mary Waters (At-Large) — Cast the lone “no” vote on the 2022 cannabis ordinance
Scott Benson, Fred Durhal III, Gabriela Santiago-Romero, Angela Whitfield Calloway — District members
The new District 5 member elected November 2025 to fill Sheffield’s seat

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy

Kym Worthy (D), in office since 2004 — the first African-American woman to serve as a Michigan county prosecutor — oversees the largest felony caseload in Michigan, prosecuting 52% of all felony cases in the state and 64% of serious felony jury trials. Worthy’s office has not adopted a formal published cannabis-declination policy in the manner of progressive prosecutors elsewhere; her approach has been case-by-case under strict evidentiary review. Critics in the 2020 primary, when she faced challenger Victoria Burton-Harris, argued for an automatic marijuana expungement system; Worthy won re-election that year with approximately 62% of the vote.

Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington

Sheriff Raphael Washington (D) has served as Wayne County Sheriff since 2021. The Sheriff’s Office handles the Wayne County Jail, court security, and various enforcement functions. The Sheriff’s Office is distinct from the Detroit Police Department, which handles patrol functions within Detroit city limits.

Detroit Police Chief (Interim) Todd Bettison

Todd Bettison, former Detroit Deputy Mayor and 27-year DPD veteran, was named interim chief in October 2024 after Chief James E. White departed to become CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network. The Board of Police Commissioners is conducting a national search for a permanent replacement; the candidate must be selected by the mayor and approved by Council. White, during his three-year tenure, oversaw expansion of the ShotStoppers community violence intervention program. DPD’s Major Violators / Narcotics unit retains responsibility for enforcement against unlicensed marijuana dispensaries.

The Federal Delegation

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D, MI-12) — Detroit’s seat in Congress since 2019; one of the House’s most consistent voices for cannabis legalization, decriminalization, and equity. Co-sponsor of the MORE Act and authored 2024 amendments to block GOP-led efforts to defund DEA cannabis rescheduling.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (D, MI-13) — The other Detroit-area House member.
State Reps. Tyrone Carter (D-Detroit) and Stephanie Young (D-Detroit) — Detroit-area state legislators with cannabis-policy roles in Lansing.