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City of Marquette seeks input on marijuana businesses

Fred Stonehouse, mayor, city of Marquette

MARQUETTE — The Marquette City Commission held a forum on Monday to seek input from the public in regards to allowing recreational marijuana establishments within city limits.

City Attorney Ron Keefe gave a presentation focused on the licensing process and updates from the state of Michigan.

Several area residents asked that establishments be banned in Marquette, claiming that the use of marijuana has negative health impacts on people, especially adolescents. Others were in favor of allowing such establishments, stating that products will be safer as they will be lab-tested.

Over 200 municipalities throughout the state have chosen to tentatively opt out of allowing commercial marijuana establishments in their regions and wait until the state establishes regulations, which it expects to do by fall. The city commission in February decided to tentatively opt out as well for the same reason.

On April 30, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer established the Marijuana Regulatory Agency within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, combining previous authorities, functions and duties into an agency that allows Michigan to regulate both medical and adult-use marijuana.

“I’m confident that the MRA is prepared to implement a fair and effective regulatory structure that protects Michiganders while providing an opportunity for businesses of all sizes to thrive,” Whitmer said in a press release. “Having a single state agency dedicated to administering all state laws relating to marijuana will allow Michigan to continue to lead the nation in this emerging industry.”

Newly appointed MRA Executive Director Andrew Brisbo said the agency hopes to have an initial set of “emergency rules” in place this summer, which would give local municipalities, other state agencies, and potential business owners enough time to plan and prepare to allow for a successful rollout of the new adult-use marijuana law.

The MRA has indicated the earliest it will start accepting applications for licenses is September, according to Keefe.

No recreational marijuana establishments can be opened in Michigan until the state begins issuing licenses. Licenses will be available for six types of establishments — retail, micro-businesses, growing, processing, secure transporting and safety compliance facilities.

Keefe said it’s up to municipalities to determine how many establishments would be allowed in their region and where they’d be located.

Mayor Fred Stonehouse said another forum will be held in the future to discuss the matter more thoroughly.

“We need to drill a little bit deeper,” Stonehouse said. “We need to pull a little more information out as some of decisions are made and what the ordinances look like. Obviously zoning is going to play a huge issue on it.”

Stonehouse commended people who showed up to the meeting. He also thanked several people who helped shape Negaunee Township’s medicinal marijuana ordinance for facilities and who have worked in marijuana establishments in other states for answering questions the commission had during the forum.

“We have to bear in mind that what we’re trying to do is something unique to Marquette. We need to take a law, take a regulation and make it best fit our city,” Stonehouse said at the end of the forum.

Sixty-two percent of Marquette residents voted in favor of Proposal 1 — the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act — in the November general election.

For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/marijuana.

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