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The Hancock City Council will gather public opinion before moving ahead with any steps to open the city up for marijuana business.
Mayor Pro-Tem Will Lytle briefed the council on plans that the city’s marijuana committee have developed.
The city would use a special zoning ordinance to restrict most marijuana businesses to the east side of downtown, along Quincy Street. There are several unused buildings in that area, which committee members hope could be used.
The city would not limit the number of marijuana retail or microbusinesses, but would leave that to the marketplace. Microbusinesses are those facilities that would grow and sell their own product, but would not market their product elsewhere. Retail businesses would exclusively sell other companies’ products.
The city would rely on the state’s licensing process to approve or deny business applicants.
The first step would be to rescind the city’s earlier choice to opt out of the marijuana market – a decision that was made shortly after Michigan voters passed the law legalizing recreational marijuana sale and use, but before the state had issued its guidelines.
Last night, the council elected not to introduce the ordinance that would do that, pending a community meeting at which they could hear comments from residents and business owners.
That meeting will be scheduled sometime this month.
The council could reconsider opting back into the marijuana program at its November meeting.
