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Southwest Michigan Today: Friday November 9, 2018

State Capitol - file photo. Photo by Cheyna Roth, Michigan Public Radio Network
Cheyna Roth
/
Michigan Public Radio Network

New leaders are picked for the next session of the state Legislature. Michigan residents have approved recreational marijuana, but federal authorities warn that doesn’t change federal law. WMU women’s basketball opens the season with a win. 

(MPRN) The leadership at the state Capitol will look different next year. The state House and Senate chose its new leadership Thursday. After an election where female candidates propelled Democrats to gains in the state House, Representative Christine Grieg. Republicans Representative Lee Chatfield will be the Speaker of the House. Senate Democratic leader Jim Ananich will maintain his post. The new leader of the Republicans in the Senate is Mike Shirkey. Ananich says he’s already reached out to Shirkey to start to find areas they can agree on.

(WKAR) Michigan’s Medical Marihuana Licensing Board met Thursday to consider another batch of applications. Three state operating licenses were approved. That brings the statewide license total to 67. Of those, 40 are for provisioning centers. Those approvals are for businesses in Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor, and Houghton, the first approved in the Upper Peninsula. The board denied three provisioning center licenses and a Grower A license. They also okayed 20 pre-qualification applications, denying another three. In all, the board has approved 140 prequalification applications and rejected 82. The board’s next meeting is December 6th.

(Michigan Radio) Federal prosecutors are reminding Michigan residents that the state’s new recreational marijuana law doesn’t give them immunity from federal prosecution. This week… Michigan voters gave their OK to legalizing recreational marijuana. But despite Michigan’s vote marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

Western Michigan opened the women’s basketball season with a 69-61 win over Purdue Fort Wayne Thursday night. Four of the Broncos five starters scored in double figures. Western will play at home again Sunday afternoon when they take on New Mexico State.