Detroit’s new recreational cannabis law triggered a land grab, driving up prices for property zoned for weed shops.

Why it matters: The city crafted the law so longtime Detroiters could break into the cannabis industry, but the scarcity of affordable land for recreational dispensaries remains a hurdle for residents to get started.

Driving the news: City Council President Pro Tem James Tate tells Axios he wants to reduce zoning restrictions to help solve the problem. Future zoning changes could also allow recreational marijuana shops to open downtown.

• "We certainly are not being progressive with the ordinance, the zoning that we have right now," Tate says. "I recognize there’s a major challenge for space."
• Cannabis businesses can’t open within 1,000 feet of churches, schools and other drug-free places. Tate is looking to lower that zoning barrier to 750 feet.

Context: Detroit is late to the lucrative recreational cannabis industry that started in 2019, largely because the city took a long time putting together rules trying to ensure racial and economic diversity. Plus, they got sued.

• The period of uncertainty left a lot of time for those on the sidelines to snatch up land.

What they’re saying: It’s difficult to find property that’s zoned for cannabis use and isn’t "incredibly expensive" because the owners know that they are sitting on a potential goldmine, said Douglas Mains, a cannabis-focused attorney at Honigman LLP.

• Clients with deep pockets will suck it up and pay the higher prices, Mains added. That leaves out entrepreneurs without as much capital, often the social equity applicants that Detroit is looking to help.

Yes, but: Detroit officials have plans to even the playing field while Tate pursues relaxed zoning restrictions.

• The city owns about 18 properties eligible for cannabis businesses. Officials are developing a program to sell them to longtime Detroit residents at a yet-to-be-determined discount.
• The city’s Homegrown Detroit fund also is raising money for grants and other assistance.

The grades from NFL draft gurus are rolling in, and the consensus seems to be that the Lions did a pretty solid job.

State of play: Both ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and NFL.com's Chad Reuter gave the team a B+.

• If you really want to feel good about where things are headed, go o Pro Football Focus and bask in its A+.

Catch up quick: The Lions spiced up things up last week by trading up to the 12th pick to take Alabama wide receiver Jameson Williams, just after locking down Michigan defensive beast Aidan Hutchinson at No. 2.

The bottom line: It's pretty well known that draft grades don't really mean much, but Lions fans have it tough — so let's take a win.

😴 Don’t sleep on these new roles on our Local Job Board.

1. Principal PMT, AWS Email Marketing at Amazon.
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🚔 A lengthy investigation shows how the Detroit Police Department has failed to deal with bad cops. (Deadline Detroit)

🥾 A 20-year-old Detroiter is embarking on a 559-mile Canadian trail hike in the footsteps of the Underground Railroad. (WDET)

⚡️ Detroit activist groups want to see state legislation that makes utilities pay for leaving customers without power during outages. (BridgeDetroit)

🏗 A high-rise in Greektown is being built from the top down using new technology. (Crain's Detroit Business)

Look out for more mopeds zooming around Detroit, as a rental shop opens in Eastern Market.

What's happening: Motown Mopeds is offering day-long and half-day rentals from its mural-covered location at 1524 Winder St., owner Erin Guillen (no relation to Joe) tells Axios.

How it works: You can rent one of eight Wolf-brand, single-rider mopeds. They're 49cc and top out at 35 mph. The shop is open on weekends and will shift to seven days a week starting June 13.

• The cost is $60 for four hours, or $110 for nine, along with a $100 security deposit.
• Important: Because these mopeds are under 50cc, you don’t need a special license to drive them.

The intrigue: Guillen, who has lived in Detroit since 2018, grew up in Manistee driving scooters and dirt bikes to friends’ houses.

• "I love the sense of freedom and exhilaration that came with all of those things," she said.

💬 Annalise's thought bubble: I rode a Honda 250cc as my main mode of transit for a time and I completely agree with this sentiment.

Of note: Motown Mopeds is far from the only option for cruising on two wheels. Electric Ave. Bikes on Woodward in Midtown rents electric-powered bicycles.

• Less expensive: MoGo stations have bicycles and e-bikes, and Wheelhouse Detroit rents bicycles. Plus, there's the ever-present electric scooters.

👋 Hi, Joe here. I finally caught up with a local food truck I’ve been meaning to track down for weeks: Backdraft BBQ.

• The name is a reference to owner Curtis Eason’s day job as a Highland Park firefighter. His 24-hour shifts give him more days off than the typical 9-to-5 worker, so he started the business about a year ago.

The menu: Eason, who also attended culinary school and was a chef at La Dolce Vita, serves up ribs, rib tips, chicken, burgers, deep-fried shrimp, sides and more.

I ordered a half-slab of ribs with spicy barbecue sauce for $15. Six bones and a few slices of white bread were inside the container.

• The ribs were tender and juicy with the right amount of char. I found myself hunting stray shards of meat that fell to the bottom of the container.

Eason moves his truck around, typically between parking lots at Woodward Avenue and McNichols Road and State Fair Avenue and John R Street.

👀 Check his Instagram for updates on location and hours.