Even though Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuett opined that an increase to the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Ann Arbor, Mich. was likely in violation of the state’s Age of Majority Act, on Tuesday morning the Genesee County Board of Commissioners voted 7 to 2 to pass an increase of their own.

The increase will go into effect in 90 days, which makes the start date May 14, assuming no legal challenge is brought up first. In a report from MLive.com, the county’s attorney warned that the increase could come with unintended consequences for the county, including a violation of the oath commissioners took to uphold the Constitution, which could be considered willful neglect of duty. That would be considered a misdemeanor and is punishable by up to a year in prison and up to a $1,000 fine, according to report.

Genesee County has a population of approximately 425,790 people, which makes it the fifth-most populous county in Michigan. It is located approximately 75 miles northwest of Detroit and includes the city of Flint, which is the county seat.

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Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.