Leelanau Planning Commission to discuss marijuana regulation

From staff reports

The Leelanau County Planning Commission will hold a session on Wednesday, April 17, about regulations and zoning of marijuana. The guest speaker will be Mary Reilly, AICP, government and public policy educator with Michigan State University Extension. Her presentation and Q&A begin at 7 p.m. in the lower level of the Leelanau County Government Center.

Michigan voters approved Proposal 1 last November, opening the door to legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Proposal 1, now the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA), became effective Dec. 6, 2018.

Municipalities and counties engaged in zoning have many questions around this issue. Due to vague phrasing in parts of the law, some questions can be answered now while others will require clarity from state agencies, the courts, and/or the legislature. This program will briefly outline the three Michigan laws regulating marijuana, the role of a zoning ordinance vs. police power ordinance, and a sampling of the current “knowns” and “unknowns” around zoning for marijuana related land uses.

(This session will NOT address health issues, revenue, medicinal uses, etc.)