The Ypsilanti City Council’s effort to regulate marijuana businesses will take a step forward at tonight’s meeting.
The first reading of a change to the city’s marijuana ordinance will be voted on tonight. There was a concern about the number of marijuana retail establishments, but rather than limiting the number of cannabis permits, the city will make it purely a zoning issue handled by the planning commission.
Major Pro-Tem Steve Wilcoxen is one of the architects of the original ordinance.
“After a discussion with the current council, reducing the number of [marijuana] businesses was not the priority. Simplicity of the ordinance and letting the market regulate itself was the outcome.”
There are currently 13 marijuana retail permits in the city with at least nine of them currently open for business, in addition to three growers.
According to Wilcoxen, the industry has been a net positive for the city, bringing about $500,000 in state taxes last year.
Tonight’s meeting begins at 6 p.m. at City Hall.
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