By Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com


At a special meeting Monday night, the City Council approved the ballot language for a proposal allowing marijuana dispensaries in the city, which will be on the November general election ballot.

At the same time, the resolution passed by council repeals the city's ban on marijuana establishments within the city limits.

The city was compelled to approve ballot language which would allow marijuana stores as a result of a ruling by a local judge. Livingston County Chief Circuit Judge Michael Hatty last week ordered the city to approve the petitions, organized by the "Say Yes to Brighton Committee”, which is seeking to repeal the city’s ban on marijuana businesses and place on the November election ballot the issue of whether to allow a marijuana dispensary.

City Clerk Tara Brown had rejected the petitions because the formatting did not strictly comply with state election law, but that was superseded by Judge Hatty’s ruling. The city could have appealed the ruling, but at its regular meeting last Thursday, council voted 4-3 not to appeal.

Mayor Kris Tobbe provided the lone no vote Monday night on the ballot language issue. After the meeting, he gave WHMI a diplomatic, if cryptic, reason why, saying, “We each apply our own different analysis, and in my own opinion I felt a no vote was what I wanted to do on this initiative.”

The ballot issue contains six bullet points regarding what the ordinance, if passed, would allow, prohibit and authorize. For instance, the ordinance would allow "a minimum of two “adult use” marijuana retail establishments with delivery service, drive through, and exterior walkup windows. It would authorize a marijuana establishment license for an individual or entity who holds a state license to operate in the city and who has obtained pre-qualification from the state within 30 days after the ballot wording.

The language specifies that such dispensaries would be prohibited within 800 feet of a public or private grade school or parks larger than one acre. Self-appointed city watchdog Susan Walters said that the Imagination Station playground in the downtown area is less than an acre in size, implying that its presence would not preclude a marijuana dispensary from opening nearby.

The exact wording of the ballot proposal, under “resolution to adopt ballot language”, is on the city’s website together with the agenda for Monday’s meeting.