Mount Clemens extends moratorium on medical-marijuana businesses for 90 days while state licensing timeline unfolds

The Mount Clemens City Commission on Nov. 6 voted to extend by 90 days a moratorium on the establishment of businesses involved in cultivation, processing, testing, transporting or distributing medical marijuana.

Staff explained that the city first adopted a 180-day moratorium on Nov. 2, 2015 and has extended it multiple times; the latest extension is designed to bridge a gap between the commission’s current moratorium expiration (Nov. 10) and the date the state will begin accepting applications for licensed facilities (Dec. 15, 2017). The state law establishes five categories of licensed medical-marijuana facilities, and staff said the city must decide whether to allow one or more categories and, if so, adopt zoning and ordinances to regulate them.

During discussion staff and a legal adviser said the extension provides the commission time to review state licensing rules and to prepare any necessary local ordinance language or zoning guidance. Commissioners agreed the moratorium should be extended to avoid a period with no local control while state applications begin.

The commission adopted the staff-recommended 90-day extension on roll call.