Detroit — City officials are considering a new proposal that would cap the number of medical marijuana facilities operating in the city to 75 and lay out regulations for where they can locate.
The ordinance, which also includes provisions for how large the operations can be, is the latest by Detroit to combat a proliferation of so-called pot shops in the city in recent years.
Detroit City Councilman James Tate submitted the zoning ordinance changes last month to the City Planning Commission for a review and recommendation. The ordinance will then be introduced for council’s consideration.
The legislation would establish rules for facilities in Detroit that grow, test, process, transport and dispense medical marijuana to patients with state-approved medical marijuana cards.
It also would encourage medical marijuana operators to provide community benefits in their licensing operations, city officials said.
“The goal has always been to ensure that we have an industry that is respectful of the neighborhoods, the communities it is located in, but also considerate to individuals seeking safe access to alternative medication,” Tate said in a statement. “This ordinance balances those two needs with the preservation of neighborhoods being the top priority.”
