UPDATE - Nov 25, 2017 – Is Adrian Michigan the next to approve Medical Marijuana Facilities?

With the December license applications fast approaching, Michigan cities are starting to opt in to allow medical marijuana facilities to operate within their borders. Adrian is no exception.

“We’ve been waiting a long time and there are — medical marijuana —patients in this community that have been waiting a long time,” city commissioner Allen Heldt said about making a final decision. “I feel that it’s still a compassion thing and we’ve been dragging our feet, in my opinion, on this whole issue.”

With the potential of a vote on recreational marijuana coming in 2018, they believe that it is time to be proactive.

“It’s going to be on the ballot … it’s going to pass,” Heldt said. “So why not get out in front of it, zone it and have the planning commission get together to as a group and figure out where we are going to put these facilities, and move forward. I see no reason to wait.”

The city commission plans to meet next week in order to review the drafted ordinance that was presented on Monday. While the number of facilities has not been finalized, they expect to finalize drafts of the ordinance in the coming weeks.

The city commissioner Devin Stevens would like to move regulations forward quickly so that the city doesn’t miss out on big investments from people would would like to establish businesses in the city. He is concerned that businesses and investors are going to go to cities that have already passed ordinances instead of waiting for the cities who have not yet made a decision.

If the city decides to pass the marijuana ordinance in conjunction with a zoning ordinance, it may be delayed until January in order to follow the traditional approval process. It would need to be discussed in December, and go up for a public hearing in January, and then finally go to the city commission.

Sand Creek Highway and West Beecher Road is one of the proposed areas that are being considered for marijuana facility zoning. The proposal includes all five license types, including growing, processing, testing, provisioning, and transportation. Another potential dispensary area is near Adrian Mall.

In addition, the committee is proposing potential zoning to allow provisioning centers or dispensaries near the Adrian Mall.

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