Voters had mixed feelings about recreational marijuana in two metro Detroit communities on Tuesday.
In Ecorse, residents voted in favor of recreational cannabis businesses by a 818-659 to margin. In Clinton township, voters narrowly rejected a similar plan.
The proposal in Ecorse forces the city council to write an ordinance to allow dispensaries, grow operations, and other recreational marijuana businesses to open. The proposal did not specify how many businesses may open, giving the choice to city council.
In Clinton Township, the proposal would have overturned the local government’s ban and allowed up to 24 recreational marijuana businesses.
In Macomb County, where Clinton Township is located, 24 of the 27 communities have banned recreational pot businesses from taking root within their boundaries. Since recreational marijuana sales became legal on Dec. 2, Macomb County still does not have a dispensary, making it difficult for residents to find cannabis. Only Warren, Fraser, and Romeo have not banned recreational pot businesses in Macomb County, according to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency.
In Wayne County, where Ecorse is located, only two dispensaries have opened, and both are in River Rouge. When voters legalized recreational marijuana in November 2018, local governments and residents were given the authority to determine whether they wanted pot businesses before legal sales began 13 months later. Three-quarters of Michigan’s communities imposed bans on recreational marijuana businesses. Under the law that legalized pot, voters have the right to override local government bans by collecting enough signatures to trigger a ballot initiative.
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