Dearborn To Host Town Hall On Marijuana Businesses

DEARBORN MI — Do you think recreational marijuana businesses should operate within city limits? The Dearborn City Council wants to hear your input on the matter.

An upcoming town hall meeting will allow residents to discuss the option of having marijuana businesses in Dearborn now that voters have approved recreational usage for adults.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Dearborn Administrative Center (DAC), 16901 Michigan Ave.

The Council hopes the meeting will give it a better understanding of where city residents stand on the recently passed Proposal 1, which legalizes the use and sale of marijuana products for recreational purposes throughout Michigan. The Council will not be taking any action or voting on any matter at this meeting, however.

Michigan voters, including those in Dearborn, approved Proposal 1, also known as the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act of 2018, at the polls on Nov. 6. Recreational marijuana use becomes legal at the state level on Thursday. Marijuana use and sale is still illegal at the federal level.

The new state law gives communities the choice to “opt out” of allowing marijuana businesses from operating within municipal limits.

The Dearborn City Council was on its way to passing an ordinance that would ban marijuana establishments from operating within the city, but have decided to not take any further action on its proposed ordinance until it could gather more input from the public.

Marijuana businesses, as defined by the proposal, include retail growers, marijuana safety compliance facilities, marijuana processors, marijuana microbusinesses, marijuana retailers, marijuana secure transporters and any other type of marijuana-related businesses.
Municipalities that ban marijuana retail sales forfeit the tax proceeds collected by the state from such sales.

Residents planning to attend the town hall meeting are asked to enter the DAC through the west entrance of the building and proceed to the Council Chambers.

Individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations, auxiliary aids or services to attend or participate in this program should contact 313-943-2025.

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