Betty Montgomery is confused about Pontiac’s recreational marijuana question on the upcoming Feb. 27 ballot. She’s not the only one.The 85-year-old Pontiac resident has been active in the community for most of her life and follows ballot issues but said she’s never been seriously involved in politics.
“I don’t know whether to vote ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ ” Montgomery said. “I have no problem with marijuana, as long as it’s done right and it’s not out there being pushed upon people just for profit. And that’s what it seems now.”
The two-page, 1,400-word ballot question summarizes nearly two dozen changes to Pontiac’s existing recreational marijuana ordinance. The original ordinance passed in April 2023 and the amendments were approved by the council in October.
Pontiac voters approved medical marijuana sales in 2018, but the previous city administration didn’t issue permits. The current administration took office in 2022 and issued conditional medical marijuana permits to five growers, two processing facilities, and 20 retailers. All must meet city standards before opening.
In the six years between voter approval and issuing conditional permits, recreational sales began in other communities and it became unprofitable for Pontiac cannabis businesses to open without a recreational permit.
The city council passed a recreational marijuana ordinance in April 2023. The Jenison, Mich.-based Sensible Cannabis Reform for Pontiac campaign, unhappy with the city’s plans, collected enough signatures to ask voters to accept or reject the ordinance on the November ballot, effectively halting Pontiac’s ability to accept recreational business applications.
Donors included $45,000 from West Bloomfield resident Dennis Jaboro, $58,883.58 from East Lansing-based cannabis retailer Pleasantrees and $48,883.58 from Royal Oak-based Pontiac OPS, and $30,000 from Nature’s Remedy of Ferndale and ACM Investment Group of West Bloomfield, both owned by Walter Manju, according to state campaign-finance filings.
City officials negotiated with some of the group’s members and amended the ordinance to keep the question off the November ballot. Manju’s donations to Sensible Cannabis Reform in Pontiac were refunded in September.
The council’s October amendments were challenged by Citizens for Equitable Cannabis Reform, a group represented by Manju’s attorney, James Allen Sr., according to state records.
A lawsuit to put the entire ordinance on the ballot failed, otherwise voters would have received a 42-page ballot, said Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown. Voters will only see a summary of the amendments on the Feb. 27 ballot.
Montgomery, the resident, said she and her friends are concerned about the ballot language, which she called confusing.
“You couldn’t read it,” she said. “Then (the city) said they were sending around something so you could read it … it doesn’t tell you how many areas in the city where they want to put these places.”
Adding to the confusion, said Council President Mike McGuinness, is that Sensible Reform for Pontiac recently sent a letter to city residents asking them to vote “no” and suggesting it was backing the city’s position.
Read more at Oakland Press