PORTAGE, Mich. - Jevin Weyenberg is a cancer survivor who credits medical marijuana.
"When you're nauseous after chemotherapy you feel like a walking corpse, and after 30 seconds or a minute of using cannabis I felt like my normal self," says Weyenberg.
He wants to bring that kind of relief to others, and in early 2016 he opened Lake Effect, a medical marijuana business in Kalamazoo County.
But now that business is in jeopardy. In early September, Lake Effect says their license application was denied by the state for moral and integrity reasons.
"I served in the Marines for eight years. I live my life the right way and to be denied on a moral and integrity clause publicly was a pretty big slap in the face and kick to the teeth," says Weyenberg.
Michigan has extended the deadline for businesses until December but Weyenberg says that is not enough time.
"A three month extension is not enough time because the patient population in Michigan keeps going up ever since it was legalized. You now have 300,000 patients," says Weyenberg.
Lake Effect plans to appeal the decision but believes the actions by the state are causing unnecessary stress for employees and patients.
"Cannabis patients are tired of being treated like second class citizens and until they have dignified access to medicine from across the state, it won't change. And a three month extension won't change that," says Weyenberg.
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