Photos show the early days of Detroit’s medical marijuana industry — before the crackdown

click to enlarge Photos show the early days of Detroit’s medical marijuana industry — before the crackdown
Dave Jordano

Michigan voters approved the legalization of medical marijuana in 2008, and within a few years, dispensaries started cropping up all over Detroit — reaching a peak of nearly 300. Photographer Dave Jordano knew he had to act fast. "My sense was this new social experiment wasn't going to last long, so for three months, I documented nearly 100 shops knowing that if I didn't document them quickly, there would be no chance of capturing an era in Detroit’s history that came to an end just as quickly as it began," Jordano says.

You can see the full gallery here.

It's a new era for marijuana in Michigan. Sign up for our weekly weed newsletter, delivered every Tuesday at 4:20 p.m.

About The Author

Lee DeVito

Leyland “Lee” DeVito is the editor in chief of Detroit Metro Times since 2016. His writing has also been published in Hour Detroit, VICE, In These Times, and New City. He once asked porn star Stormy Daniels to spank him with an issue of Metro Times. She obliged...
Scroll to read more One Hitters articles

Newsletters

Join Detroit Metro Times Newsletters

Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox.