Stevensville passes marijuana ordinance

STEVENSVILLE, Mich. (WNDU) - After a lot of opposition from residents, the Village Council of Stevensville approved an ordinance that will allow marijuana retailers to come to the area.

Residents shared their thoughts about the ordinance at a meeting Wednesday night.

“I would like to see a cash flow analysis taken into account the additional cost of having administration of it...Additional cost of enforcing it, and I don’t understand what the rush is,” said one resident.

“And I see this as just one more change in the evolution of the town and as long as it’s guided in a thoughtful way that makes sense, and takes the community’s best interest in mind, I don’t have a problem with it,” said resident Ryan Allison.

“Should there be one injury or death or broken family or wasted life from a sale of a marijuana product dispensed in this village, I believe the general public will hold each and every one of us who votes to implement this ordinance personally responsible,” said one council member.

“Writing this ordinance and having a self-funding mechanism where the community can use private enterprise to help fund the roads, I like the self-sufficiency aspect of it,” said Allison.

The Village recently did an assessment and discovered that they need $5 million to repair their roads.

That is why they have been looking at funding options, like opening one or two marijuana retailers.

Marijuana retail businesses will have to be at least 500 feet from a school or church.

Another funding option is raising millage rates on property taxes.

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