Alma has officially introduced its medical marijuana facilities ordinance at the city commission level.
During its meeting Tuesday, the commission voted 6-0 to officially introduce the ordinance for the purpose of a future vote, and 6-0 to introduce an ordinance to amend the city zoning code to regulate for the location of medical marijuana facilities within the city limits. Commissioner Larry Mott abstained from voting on both items; he declined to give a reason on the record about why he abstained from voting.
Now, by rules of the city charter, at least one meeting must pass between now and when the ordinance can be voted on to adopt, meaning the earliest it can be voted on to adopt would be the July 10 meeting.
If the ordinance is adopted, an application and process to administer them would still have to be developed by city staff.
The introduction comes as the State of Michigan on June 5 certified a ballot initiative to have a question on the Nov. 6 general election ballot asking voters if they want to legalize the recreational use and possession of marijuana for people over 21 years old and to enact a tax on marijuana sales.
“I think it’s two separate issues,” said Mayor Greg Mapes after the meeting. “If November comes and it passes, you’ll still have the two sets of rules.”
If recreational marijuana use and sales become legal, then the city would have no control over it except for the zoning in the city limits.
“We could do the zoning, where the grow operation or whatever would be, but I don’t think we’d have any other voice than that,” Mapes said.
The most recent draft of the proposed ordinance limits the number of dispensary facility licenses to up to three, while no more than two licenses can be distributed for grower, processer, secure transporter and safety compliance laboratories.
It also specifies that all facilities must be 300 feet from any single-family residences, a single-family residential zoning district, city park, or kindergarten through 12th grade school.
The next regular meeting is at 6 p.m. on June 26 in the commissioners’ room at the Alma Municipal Building at 525 E. Superior Street. A work session at 5:30 p.m. precedes the meeting.