Detroiters Vote In Favor Of Easing Marijuana Restrictions
DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - It may soon be easier for legal users to buy marijuana in Detroit.
Unofficial election results show Detroit residents have voted in favor of two ballot proposals that will ease zoning restrictions and other rules surrounding the city's medical marijuana industry.
The first proposal requires the city to opt into a state law that recognizes licenses for growing, testing, processing, transporting and provision centers.
The second proposal expands the zones for medical pot facilities to operate. It also removes distance restrictions for dispensaries in proximity to day care centers, liquor stores, parks and arcades.
Unofficial results with all precincts reporting show the measures passed.
The proposals replace Detroit's current strict medical marijuana ordinance the City Council approved in 2016, which has led to the closing of nearly 190 medical marijuana facilities.
The council won't be able to amend the proposals for a year.
Pot dispensaries — which are not explicitly addressed under a 2008 voter-approved medical marijuana laws — have gone unchecked in some municipalities and have been blocked in others under a Michigan Supreme Court ruling that questioned their legality.
In an about-face last week, Michigan regulators said that medical marijuana businesses could stay open while seeking a state license as long — as they have been operating with the approval of their local community.
The state currently estimates that 272,000 registered patients grow their own pot or buy it from 43,000 registered caregivers. Registrations show the Detroit and Flint areas have highest rates of medical marijuana use.
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