Ex-NFL star gets pre-approval for medical marijuana dispensary in Michigan

Former Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson received preliminary approval this week to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Michigan.

Johnson was given unanimous pre-approval to open the business with his wife, Brittney Johnson, The Detroit Free Press reported Thursday.

This was Johnson’s second attempt at obtaining a license for a medical marijuana business, according to the paper. In December, Johnson and his then-business partner Robert Sims were denied licenses over unpaid traffic tickets issued to Johnson over a decade earlier.

{mosads}Johnson has since taken care of the unpaid tickets, according to the paper, prompting the state’s Medical Marijuana Licensing Board to approve Johnson’s new application.

“Calvin is grateful and looks forward to operating with his brand Primitive in this new venture,” Johnson’s attorney, Michael Stein, told the Free Press. “He’s hoping to have a big presence in the state.”

The dispensary’s location has not yet been determined, but will operate under the name Michigan Community Collective. The Johnsons’ venture will have to be approved by the community where they want to open before a license can be issued.

Johnson and Sims, also a former Lions player, are appealing their December rejection. 

Medical marijuana has been legal in Michigan since 2008. Michiganders voted in November to legalize recreational pot.