Over in South Lyon, Michigan, there’s some chatter about a possible change in the marijuana laws. Currently, the Michigan Court of Appeals is looking into a proposal on the city’s marijuana ballot. This comes after an attempt by the city officials to prevent the measure from getting a chance on the ballot was upheld by a lower judge.
According to local attorney Anne McClorey McLaughlin, the consequences of this proposal going through could be extensive. As she put it to the city council recently, “If they were allowed to put this on the ballot and then it passed, and they were allowed to start dictating the rules, it would tie your hands and tie your administration’s hands on what could be done regulatory-wise.”
McLaughlin went on saying the proposal is pretty favorable to the marijuana industry. It would specifically aid individuals who already have a stake in property locally and have the state marijuana regulatory agency’s approval.
But what’s the fuss all about? Why does the outcome of this ballot matter to South Lyon? Councilwoman Margaret Kurtzweil laid it out for us: “That particular ballot proposal was going to upheave our zoning in the city of South Lyon. It was going to take away zoning restrictions for where you could place dispensaries and places that sell marijuana, in terms of retail. So, we would no longer have the ability to say it doesn’t go near a school. It doesn’t go near a church.”
The final word on this proposal is yet to arrive. The Michigan Court of Appeals is expected to deliver a decision in the coming weeks that may very well change the course of the South Lyon city zoning rules and regulations.
