Nearly a quarter of Michigan’s communities have decided to ban recreational marijuana businesses from their towns, but the reasons aren’t necessarily out of a fear of reefer madness.
Instead, the wording on the Nov. 6 ballot proposal was vague enough that many communities worry about what opting into the budding marijuana market will mean for their towns.
“The problem is that what the citizens voted on was five pages of legal mumbo jumbo and some of it is just horrible,” said Harrison Township Supervisor Ken Verkest. “Until the state clarifies exactly what some of this stuff means, we’re like sitting ducks here. A lot of municipalities said let’s opt out until the state figures out what all this is about.”
For example, the wording on the ballot proposal says that communities can either prohibit businesses entirely or limit the number of licenses available for businesses. What the language doesn’t say is whether city officials can accept some categories of licenses and reject others.
Andrew Brisbo, director of the Bureau of Marijuana Regulation, told officials at a Michigan Municipal League conference in March that as the state is developing rules and regulations for the recreational market, the wording on the ballot proposal could be interpreted to mean that communities can either prohibit all categories or allow all — growers, processors, dispensaries, testing labs and transporters.
“The medical marijuana law says you can limit the number and type of licenses, but the recreational ballot proposal says you limit the number of licenses, but doesn’t address the type of licenses,” he said. “I’ve heard that opinion out there, so I think it’s important that I share what I’ve heard so communities can prepare for it.”
so I think it’s important that I share what I’ve heard so communities can prepare for it.”
Lawyers who met in work groups with the state last week to discuss the rules and regulations that will govern the recreational market, said the ballot proposal is clear.
