Q & A On Cannabis In Clawson

Press release from the City of Clawson:

Q & A on Cannabis in Clawson

Questions/Answers on Cannabis FacilitiesWhat types of businesses are allowed in Michigan?Michigan permits medical and recreational cannabis uses under two different laws:• Medical uses are permitted under the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act (MMFLA). Thelaw permits five uses:

• Commercial-scale growers, Class A, B and C
• Processor: a licensee that purchases marihuana from a grower and extracts resin or creates a marihuana-infused product for sale and transfer in packaged form to a provisioning center or another processor.
• Secure transporter: a licensee that stores marihuana and transports marihuana between marihuana facilities for a fee.
• Safety compliance facility: a licensee that takes marihuana from a marihuana facility or receives marihuana from a registered primary caregiver, tests the marihuana for contaminants and for tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids, returns the test results, and may return the marihuana to the marihuana facility.
• Provisioning center: a licensee that purchases marihuana from a grower or processor and sells, supplies, or provides marihuana to registered qualifying patients, directly or through the patients' registered primary caregivers. Provisioning center includes any commercial property where marihuana is sold at retail to registered qualifying patients or registered primary caregivers.

• Recreational uses are permitted under the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA). This law permits the following uses:

• Designated consumption establishment: licensed commercial business permitted to let adults 21 years of age and older to consume marihuana products on-site.
• Grower: a licensee that cultivates, dries, trims, or cures and packages marihuana for sale to a processor, provisioning center, or another grower.
• Microbusiness: a person or entity licensed to cultivate not more than 150 marihuana plants; process and package marihuana; and sell or otherwise transfer marihuana to individuals who are 21 years of age or older or to a Marihuana Safety Compliance Facility, but not to other marihuana establishments.
• Processor: a licensee that purchases marihuana from a grower and extracts resin or creates a marihuana-infused product for sale and transfer in packaged form to a provisioning center or another processor.
• Marihuana retailer: a person licensed to obtain marihuana from marihuana establishments and to sell or otherwise transfer marihuana to marihuana establishments and to individuals who are 21 years of age or older.
• Temporary marihuana event license: a state license held by a marihuana event organizer, for an event where the onsite sale or consumption of marihuana products, or both, are authorized at the location indicated on the state license.

What does the city allow now?At present, the city does not allow any commercial marijuana facilities – either formedical or recreational purposes.I’ve heard that medical marijuana is on the ballot in Clawson this November. What are we being asked to vote on?There are two initiatives on the ballot in November, each of which would permit some cannabis uses.They can be viewed on the City’s website: www.CityofClawson.com or at the Oakland County website:https://www.oakgov.com/clerkro... does the ordinance that the city is developing do?The Clawson planning commission is working on zoning regulations for commercial cannabis uses inorder to be prepared if commercial cannabis uses become legal in the city. The zoning regulations willnot have any effect until a licensing ordinance permitting the uses is in place.What does the zoning ordinance do?The proposed zoning ordinance, which would only be effective if the City of Clawson enacts licensinglanguage to permit cannabis facilities, limits those uses to the commercial and industrial districts outsideof downtown and 1,000 feet away from the following:

1. K through 12 public or private school building or licensed childcare center
2. Places of worship
3. A government or nonprofit facility that offers regular, on-site programs and services primarily to persons 18 years of age and under and is used for said programs and services for a minimum of three (3) days a week year-round. Programs and services may include, but are not limited to, social, training, cultural, artistic, athletic, recreational or advisory services and activities and includes private youth membership organizations or clubs and social service teenage club facilities.
4. A publicly owned park or playground
5. A facility is licensed by the State of Michigan as a Substance Use Disorder Program

The proposed zoning ordinance includes standards to protect the safety and security of businesses,adjacent property owners and the community as well as to mitigate any negative impacts, such as odor,air contaminants and utility usage.How can I find out more?The Planning Commission will discuss this issue at its meeting on October 12, 2021. Visit the City ofClawson website (www.CityofClawson.com) for information on their meetings, which are always open tothe public!

This press release was produced by the City of Clawson. The views expressed here are the author’s own.