City council passes new marihuana ordinance

The Grayling City Council passed a new marihuana ordinance on Monday, April 10, but the city still has to make zoning ordinance adjustments before businesses would be allowed to sell marihuana in parts of the city, according to officials.

For months, the City of Grayling Planning Commission and the city council have been exploring the possibility of adjusting city ordinances to allow “medical marihuana facilities and adult use marihuana establishments” inside specific parts of the city (the industrial zone and part of the general commercial zone).

During a regular meeting of the city council on Monday, March 13, the council viewed the latest draft of the new marihuana ordinance and agreed to host a public hearing about the document during its meeting on Monday, April 10.

The April 10 public hearing did not feature any comments from those in attendance.

City Manager Erich Podjaske – during the April 10 council meeting – said the current draft underwent a few small changes with regard to the signage language.

The city council approved the code of ordinance with a 5-0 vote.

City officials said the next steps included a Planning Commission public hearing regarding zoning and then city council consideration of possible zoning adjustments.

The city’s former marihuana ordinance (19-17, effective March 8, 2019) said “Marihuana Establishments are prohibited within the boundaries of the City of Grayling.”

The new ordinance would allow “medical marihuana facilities and adult use marihuana establishments” in parts of the city. According to city officials, the areas include “the Industrial and the C-3B districts.” 

The C-3B district includes the I-75 Business Loop area south of Huron Street/M-72, according to a map in the city’s zoning ordinance. The Industrial district includes land in the Industrial Park, a sliver of property between Huron Street and the railroad tracks, and a piece of land at the northwest edge of the City of Grayling border, according to the map.

Editor’s note: “Marihuana” vs.“marijuana.” “The Cannabis Regulatory Agency is frequently asked why marijuana is sometimes spelled with an ‘h’ and other times is spelled with a ‘j.’ Both spellings – marijuana and marihuana – are acceptable. While the spelling with a ‘j’ is more common today, you will still see Michigan law using the ‘h’ spelling. The spelling of marijuana has a long history in the United States. Michigan’s history primarily starts from the spelling that was chosen for the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Michigan adopted its statutory definition of marijuana in the Public Health Code, utilizing the past federal spelling, marihuana. As governing state laws spell marihuana with an ‘h,’ MRA legal communication and references to statutes in relation to the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, the Michigan Medical Facilities Licensing Act, or the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act – and the corresponding administrative rules – will use an ‘h’ in the spelling of marihuana. In non-formal communication, ‘j’ will generally be used. An act of the Michigan Legislature would be required in order to change the spelling of marijuana in Michigan statutes,” according to www.michigan.gov.