Special committee seeks public input on medical marijuana businesses in Mount Pleasant
Residents will be able to share their thoughts on whether medical marijuana businesses should be welcomed in Mount Pleasant.
A meeting for public input is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, June 19 at City Hall. It will start with a brief presentation and an explanation of the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act.
Setting the meeting was a decision made last week by the city's committee created to discuss the state's Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act. The new law, which was signed by Gov. Rick Snyder in December, allows municipalities to adopt ordinances allowing for five categories of medical marijuana production and growing facilities. The new law does not take effect until Dec. 21.
The special committee drafted a recommendation to allow all five facility types under the act, said city planner and liaison for the ad-hoc committee, Jacob Kaine.
"The purpose (of the meeting) is to explain the recommendation to the public and hopefully receive feedback from the committee before moving forward," Kaine said.
The city can choose to allow:
- Growing facilities that would cultivate and process marijuana for sale. The city could authorize three designations including Class A would allow cultivation of up to 1,500 plants, Class B would allow cultivation of up to 1,000 plants or Class C would allow cultivation of up to 500 plants
- Processors that create “infused products” such as edibles
- Dispensaries that would buy marijuana from growers and supply the product to patients.
- Transportation services that would take marijuana to authorized facilities
- Facilities to monitor cannabis for contaminants and other substances
The committee meets June 21, two days after the public forum. The goal for the June 21 meeting is for the committee to have a formal report to present to the City Commission at its July 24 meeting.
Once the commissioners get the report, they will choose to follow it exactly to help draft an ordinance, or reject the recommendations and create their own guidelines for a draft ordinance. Commissioners will eventually have to vote on the ordinance they choose.
The committee's draft recommendation is:
Permit all five facility types authorized under the MMMFLA within the following parameters:
Provisioning Centers
- Allow in Commercial and Industrial zoning districts subject to special use
permit.
- No prescribed limit on the number of facilities.
- Limit the location of provision centers in proximity to K-12 schools.
- Explore options to provide licensing preference to locally owned facilities.
Processors
- Allow in Industrial zoning districts subject to special use permit.
- No prescribed limit on the number of facilities.
- Explore options to provide licensing preference to locally owned facilities.
Safety Compliance Facilities
- Allow in Industrial zoning districts subject to special use permit.
- No prescribed limit on the number of facilities.
- Explore options to provide licensing preference to locally owned facilities.
Secure Transporters
- Allow in Industrial zoning districts subject to special use permit.
- No prescribed limit on the number of facilities.
- Explore options to provide licensing preference to locally owned facilities.
Growers
- Allow in Industrial zoning districts subject to special use permit.
- No prescribed limit on the number of facilities.
- Implement special use criteria requiring that grow operations occur within
an enclosed building and regulating odor control.
- Explore options to provide licensing preference to locally owned facilities.
