(WWJ) A proposal to ban recreational marijuana businesses from Crystal Lake Township in northern Michigan will be in front of voters on Tuesday.
Township Clerk Sue Sullivan says even if voters reject the ban, establishing a marijuana business in the township would remain a challenge.
Sullivan said the real difficulty is extremely limited retail space.
"We have no areas that are zoned agricultural so if one wanted to grow marijuana for sale they they would have to request a special land use permit to get a variance," Sullivan said.
Michigan voters approved recreational marijuana at the polls in November, and the state has until the end of the year to come up with a licensing systems and buying process. Until then, users can grow their own -- up to three plants -- or buy commercially with a medical marijuana card. But marijuana can not yet be legally bought for recreation.
Sullivan says the backers of the proposal gathered about 36 signatures to get it on the ballot. She expects about half of the township's 1,0000 voters to cast a ballot on the proposal.
The state will begin accepting applications for marijuana-related establishments on Nov. 1. If a municipality, like Crystal Lake, does not support having pot businesses in their jurisdiction, they have to enact an opt-out ordinance before then.
