MARQUETTE — The Sands Township Board of Trustees on Tuesday unanimously approved a request from Flow Provisioning LLC for a commercial marijuana provisioning center at 918 Marquette County Road 480.

Conditions include compliance with state of Michigan laws as well as local ordinances and regulations, compliance with county setbacks, and providing a financial security agreement and material safety data sheets before opening for business. Lighting facing a residential district also must be downcast.

“We’re very excited about bringing a very high-quality addition in the cannabis community to the area,” said Bruce Leach, a partner in Flow Provisioning and a Flint-based attorney. “The Upper Peninsula presents a lot of very interesting opportunities, from ecotourism and marketing to really filling a void.”

He said his legal work has shown a lack of access to quality medicine in the Upper Peninsula.

“To be able to provide all the local patients and the community up here with access to excellent quality medicine is our driving goal,” said Leach, who noted a new building will be constructed along County Road 480 just west of M-553.

Leach said Flow Provisioning has been pre-approved for a license for medicinal marijuana, but will seek licensing for adult recreational marijuana.

He hopes the provisioning center will open in early spring following construction and passing final state inspections regarding security.

“We’ve not had any issues with that at our other location downstate,” Leach said, “and again, we’re very excited to open up here and bring business and revenues and jobs to the community.”

The board’s Tuesday vote followed a Nov. 13 unanimous vote by the township planning commission to recommend the request.

Minutes from the Nov. 13 special meeting indicated audience members voiced a variety of concerns, including increasing crime in the neighborhood, illegal sales and people driving under the influence.

The township has “opted in” for marijuana activity, with four provisioning centers allowed on commercially zoned property in the township.

On Nov. 12, the township board approved a marijuana provisioning center, Cannabis Lupus Cafe, at 300 M-553. The township planning commission on Nov. 7 had voted unanimously to OK the facility, even though residents expressed concerns about issues such as public safety and housing values at the meeting.

Michigan voters on Nov. 6, 2018 approved Proposal 1, creating the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act. The act delegates responsibility for the licensing, regulation and enforcement to the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs whose Marijuana Regulatory Agency is responsible for the oversight of medical and adult-use, or recreational, marijuana in the state.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.