Cannabis is on the ballot in three Oakland County communities. Legislation allows municipalities to ban or restrict marijuana businesses from opening in their communities. Three Detroit-area communities will decide if cannabis dispensaries can open within their jurisdiction in the general election Nov. 5.
Royal Oak Township
Residents of Royal Oak Township will be asked to decide if the Charter Township of Royal Oak should “completely prohibit marijuana establishments.” According to Oakland County’s official ballot list, it will be the only proposal on the ballot.
City of Clawson
Clawson will have an amendment proposal, which, if passed, would open a path for two recreational cannabis stores in the city. A nearly identical charter amendment proposal was raised in four other metro Detroit cities (Farmington, South Lyon, Sylvan Lake, and Wixom) but was struck down in court on Sept. 3 by the Michigan Court of Appeals.
The court ruled that “voter-initiated” petitions cannot alter the city’s charter. This ballot proposal seeks to alter the city charter, though it is unclear what party proposed the charter amendment in Clawson.
The ballot language reads: “This proposed charter amendment, if adopted, would establish an application process, selection criteria, licenses, fees, and regulations for two adult use retail cannabis establishments in the City. Shall The Proposal be Adopted?”
Lathrup Village
There are two cannabis-related ballot proposals on the docket in Lathrup Village. In the first proposal, citizens will be voting on whether or not they would like to repeal a previously instituted law that prohibited cannabis dispensaries in the city.
In the second, citizens are asked — with nearly identical language from the Clawson ballot — to vote on an amendment that would change their ordinance, “to authorize and allow cannabis businesses and establish an application process, selection criteria, licenses, fees, and regulations for two retail facilities and two safety compliance facilities in the City.”
Detroit Free Press reporter Liam Rappleye can be reached at LRappleye@freepress.com