Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) signed a bill into law Thursday that would expand the pool of individuals who are eligible to receive medical marijuana business licenses.

House Bill 4295 removes the ban on those with previous felony and misdemeanor marijuana convictions from participating in the legal medical marijuana industry.

The measure would still prohibit licensure for those who were convicted of offenses related to selling marijuana to a minor.

The new law takes immediate effect.

New regulations took effect in Washington state this year also allowing those with either felony criminal records or multiple misdemeanors to be considered for marijuana business licensure. Other measures in Vermont, Illinois, and Colorado, were recently enacted in efforts to reduce barriers of entry for those seeking to participate in the legal marijuana industry.

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