Forty medical marijuana businesses across Michigan got an unpleasant visit Thursday from state officials and the Michigan State Police, ordering them to stop operating.

And those visits are just the beginning. Hundreds more are expected to get cease and desist letters in the coming days.

The state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs began the process of shutting down medical marijuana facilities that are operating illegally and haven’t submitted applications to the state for a license.

“Any business that didn’t apply for a license by Feb. 15 isn’t in compliance with the emergency rules that were set up,” said David Harns, spokesman for the department. “We did 40 today all throughout the state and there will be hundreds more.”

Harns wouldn’t say what kind of businesses got the cease and desist letters or how the state had identified them, but most were probably dispensaries that have been operating outside of Michigan’s medical marijuana laws. [Read more @ Detroit Free Press]