ANN ARBOR, MI -- The state issued recreational retail licenses to two more businesses. Both are located in Ann Arbor and expect to open their doors to customers on Sunday, Dec. 1.

The businesses include Greenstone Provisions, 338 S. Ashley St. and Arbors Wellness, 321 E. Liberty St. They join Exclusive Brands, 3820 Varsity Dr., as the only three licensed recreational shops in the state.

State licensing officials expect nearly a dozen to be licensed by the new year.

“It was excitement," Bartek Kupczyk, the newly appointed director of retail sales at Greenstone said, describing his reaction to learning they’d been licensed. “Everything has been kind of been working towards this goal for a long time ... Now with the movement of adult-use, for those of us who know cannabis and who love cannabis, it’s a major milestone here in Michigan.”

Greenstone, described by Kupczyk as a small, eclectic store focused on the customer experience is located in a former residential home and first opened to medical marijuana patients in May 2016. It plans to to give out pre-rolled marijuana cigarettes to new customers Sunday after the doors open earlier than usual for the occasion at 10 a.m..

Because of their knowledgeable and customer-service-oriented approach, Kupczyk said the store is a good option for new recreational customers.

Representatives at Arbor Wellness said hot chocolate is being offered to customers when the recreational sales begin at 8 a.m. Sunday and grand opening promotions or giveaways may be forthcoming.

Both new licensees stated their focus has been and will remain medical patients.

Kupczyk said the second-floor “bud room” will be stocked with primarily recreational product, while the first floor with wheelchair access is designated for medical products, although recreational customers are welcome to shop there as well.

Arbor Wellness plans to use a check-in process that gives priority to medical patients.

Exclusive Brands also plans to open to the public at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Likely locations of Michigan’s first marijuana shops

In addition to the three licensed recreational retailers, the state Marijuana Regulatory Office has issued five non-retail licenses for recreational business, including a testing license to PSI Labs in Ann Arbor; grow and processing licenses to Exclusive Brands in Ann Arbor; a processor license to Ann Arbor’s Arbor Kitchen and an event organizer license to Real Leaf Solutions in Kalkaska.

There are 69 more applications for various license types pending approval.

The state began accepting applications on Nov. 1. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency on Nov. 13 announced it would allow licensed retailers to transfer up to half their 30-day-old inventory, which is already deemed legal and has been tested for the medical marijuana market, to the recreational side for general sales.

Licensed processors will also begin creating new product to supply the recreational market.

-- Gus Burns is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact him with questions, tips or comments at fburns@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, @GusBurns. Read more from MLive about medical and recreational marijuana.

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