GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Grand Rapids city commissioners are set to vote Tuesday on a controversial ordinance regulating the sale and production of medical marijuana in the city.
Some on the city commission have expressed frustration over what they considered a limited plan proposed by bureaucrats in the planning department and a more open plan by the publicly-appointed planning commission.
Tuesday, a hybrid plan that mixes the two proposals will go before the commission.
Many of the city’s recommendations hinge on a statewide vote on recreational marijuana – an issue that’s expected to make the November ballot.
The Grand Rapids planning department's proposal called for 208 sites in the city to be zoned for up to 43 medical marijuana business sites.
Opponents had earlier complained that 208 potential sites would severely limit the number of dispensaries, especially if recreational marijuana is legalized in Michigan. The city’s compromise: If recreational marijuana is passed by voters in November, the city would open 1,253 sites for zoning up to 98 pot shops.
Since a “yes” vote on recreational marijuana would likely attract large-scale operations, 55 Grand Rapids facilities would be zoned for local mom and pop-style marijuana businesses.