With medical marijuana facilities popping up all across the state, local governments are making their own laws in order to regulate them. “Ultimately, it was decided that these are not much different than having a pharmacy in the downtown,” said Traverse City Planning Director Russ Soyring. “It has to be at least 1,000 feet from
With medical marijuana facilities popping up all across the state, local governments are making their own laws in order to regulate them.
“Ultimately, it was decided that these are not much different than having a pharmacy in the downtown,” said Traverse City Planning Director Russ Soyring.
“It has to be at least 1,000 feet from a school and it has to be at least 1,000 feet from another provisioning center,” Soyring said, as he explained some of the rules.
With those distances, only about 13 centers could fit in the city, and only 3 in the downtown area. Other regulations such as tinted windows and only allowing upper level store fronts were discussed, but were ultimately left out.
While the commission has been focusing on medical marijuana, Soyring says a possible vote in November for recreational marijuana could bring up another issue in the future.
As for now, the Planning Commission has a public hearing on this issue June 5. It would then be recommended to the City Commission, who could have an ordinance in place as early as July.
