Detroit votes for relaxed rules on medical marijuana

DETROIT (WJBK) - Detroiters turned out on election day and voting in favor of relaxing the rules on the city's medical marijuana industry.

That means more pot shops, which can now be built closer to schools and churches. By a vote of nearly 60- 40, Detroit Voters said bring on the pot.

"The city council dropped the ball," said Thomas Lavigne, attorney for the Cannabis Council. "They failed to pass an ordinance that would have adopted a more highly regulated system."

That highly regulated system was passed by the state legislature which would have licensed and regulated growing operations transportation of marijuana, and develop a safety compliance facility. 

The Detroit City Council never bought into it. But on Tuesday the voters did.

"And any other city council out there who are not adopting it, will put it on the ballot too," Lavigne said. 

FOX 2: "It sounds like a threat."

"It is," he said.

But that was one ballot proposal that passed in Detroit.  There is another.

"It will be a very regulated system," said Matt Abel, attorney for the Cannabis Counsel. "

Regulated, meaning it might be easier to have a dispensary in Detroit.

"I certainly hope (we see more dispensaries)," Abel said. "It will be good for the city. Dispensaries bring more economic development, they bring lower crime, jobs and tax money."

 In March of last year, the Detroit City Council enacted an ordinance that said dispensaries had to be more than 1,000 feet from each other, Schools, churches and other buildings.   

As a result, about 186 dispensaries shut down. The voters change that. Now these dispensaries can be 500 feet from each other.

Theoretically, the city could sue saying that the voter shouldn't decide where medical marijuana facilities located, it should be up to the city Council.

But no official word from the city.  But for those who voted "yes" on the proposals - they are happy.