Staff
This story was reprinted with permission from Crain’s Detroit Business and written by Dustin Walsh.
Marijuana is on the ballot next month in at least 32 communities across Michigan.
The vast majority are asking voters whether the community should allow marijuana retailers and growers to operate.
The state’s marijuana industry has suffered a massive blow in recent months due to oversupply of product, collapsing prices more than 45% in the last year.
Stakeholders blame illicit market product entering the regulated market as well as a lack of available retail space to distribute marijuana. Any new communities coming online for sales could alleviate at least some of those issues.
Below is a list of communities by county where voters will determine whether weed is grown and/or sold in the municipalities. And in some cases whether the community should rescind a previous approval, thus ending any operations.
Wayne County
Belleville — The proposed amendment to its charter would allow for two marijuana retailers, one marijuana processor, five class C grow licenses (each license allows an operator to grow up to 1,500 plants and a single operator at a single address can hold five of those licenses), two medical marijuana retailers, and two consumption lounges.
Flat Rock — The proposed amendment to the city ordinance would allow for a single marijuana retailer and a prohibition on all other forms of marijuana businesses. The ballot does not specify whether the lone retailer can be medical or adult-use recreational.
Taylor — The proposed ballot measure would repeal a previous ordinance that bans marijuana businesses in the city. If passed, “certain” marijuana businesses would be allowed only in industrial areas of the city and not within 2,500 feet of another marijuana business, schools, churches, libraries, and residential areas.
Oakland County
Auburn Hills — The proposed ballot measure would repeal a previous ordinance that banned marijuana businesses within the city and adopt a new ordinance that allows for up to four adult-use recreational marijuana businesses. It does not specify whether those businesses are retail, grow operations or processors. The new ordinance would allow for retail establishments to use delivery services, drive-thru facilities and exterior walk-up windows.
Brandon Township — The proposed amendment would allow for an additional one marijuana retailer in the township, while maintaining a prohibition on all other marijuana businesses. The Village of Ortonville, a community within Brandon Township, approved an ordinance in August that allows for two marijuana retailers to operate for at least three years within the village.
Clarkston — The proposed amendment to the city charter would allow for two medical marijuana retail locations, limiting their hours of operations to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Keego Harbor — The proposed charter amendment would allow for medical marijuana operations in the city and establish a licensing process.
Lathrup Village — The proposed amendment to the village charter would ban all marijuana operations in the village. The village has entertained proposals for two retailers and two testing labs since legalization.
Leonard Village — The proposed petition would initiate a new ordinance to allow a single adult-use recreational marijuana business in the village with no zoning restrictions, including allowing the business to operate in a residential zone.
Royal Oak Township — The proposal would repeal the township’s current ban on marijuana businesses. The ballot language states an ordinance would be established to assist patients in need of medical marijuana but does not specify whether the repeal would allow for both medical and recreational marijuana facilities in the township.
Macomb County
Memphis — A proposed petition would establish an ordinance to prohibit all marijuana operations from establishing in the city. A separate referendum would repeal certain sections of the city ordinance that allow for the regulation of adult-use and medical marijuana facilities in the city. Currently, a single marijuana retailer, Proper Leaf Cannabis, operates in the city.
Chesterfield Township — The ballot proposal would establish an ordinance “to provide for the number of marihuana establishments allowed within the municipality.” It’s unclear exactly what number the township would deem acceptable.
St. Clair County
Memphis — Same ballot language as in Macomb County in the city that straddles the county lines.
Marijuana is also on the ballot in plenty of communities outside of metro Detroit, including Petoskey, Frankfort, Wheatland Township, Clements Township, Tobacco Township, and others.
