GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (via WOOD TV 8) — For the first time Thursday, the Grand Rapids Planning Commission approved plans for a medical marijuana business under the city's new regulations.
The Helping Hands Provisioning Center will go in at 3510 E. Mall Drive SE off the East Beltline near the Shops at CenterPoint.
"So exciting," owner Tanja Stapleton told 24 Hour News 8. "This location, when I first saw it, I knew it was perfect for this land use. … It's going to be a regional use, it's going to serve the entire community. The mall location is perfect."
Planning commissioners agreed the spot is a good one: it's a commercial area and there's enough parking. But some residents raised concerns about the shop's proximity to the Sensations Showgirls strip club.
Stapleton said the dispensary will open within 120 days.
"I love that's it is a woman-owned, minority-owned business. As a consultant, I've been trying to get more people of color involved in the industry for a very long time," she said.
Read the full story at WOODTV.com.