FLINT, Mich. (WNEM) – In an 8-to-nothing vote, the Flint City Council approved an updated marijuana ordinance regulating medical and recreational sales ahead of an October 29th deadline, the date a new zoning code will be adopted. Key changes to the ordinance were presented to the council during their October 10th meeting.
Flint Director of Planning & Development, Susanne Wilcox, says, “It’s really a correction of the ordinance for a number of reasons. It corrects the name of the regulatory agency from marijuana regulatory agency or MRA to the CRA cannabis regulatory agency.”
The ordinance will also extend the hours of operations for dispensaries, following state guidelines and allowing businesses to compete with dispensaries in surrounding towns. Wilcox says the change comes after the department received some complaints and conducted research about the hours in Flint.
“They are changing it from 8 am to 7 pm to 8 am to 9 pm. It’s an addition of micro businesses Class A license and what they can and can’t do that give the little man more opportunity,” says 1st Ward City Councilman Eric Mays.
Officials say it was important to get the revised ordinance approved before the deadline because it would have left the city unable to regulate the marijuana industry.
“That will mean that we will be unable to act; we will be unable to take anything before the planning commission related to marijuana. We will be unable to approve marijuana licenses or relicenses or take any action related to marijuana until there is a marijuana ordinance in effect,” says Wilcox.
The marijuana ordinance is a part of the zoning code, which was passed in July.
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