Our Feed

We are involved in our communities, our profession, and our clients' associations and activities.

Does the Township have to submit its ordinance to the Marihuana Regulatory Agency to prohibit or allow adult-use marihuana establishments?

No. The Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, Initiated Law 1 of 2018, provides township the ability to completely prohibit or limit the number of marihuana establishments within their boundaries. Townships may also adopt other ordinances consistent with the Act. The Act, however, does not require that such ordinance (whether prohibiting this use or allowing this use) be filed or provided to the Marihuana Regulatory Agency to be effective. Notwithstanding, the Agency has done an excellent job in establishing two lists that track municipalities that have opted-out or have otherwise allowed establishments with restrictions. Because of the Agency’s effort in compiling the lists and a presumption that the Agency will likely use the list to verify whether applications can be approved in certain jurisdictions, townships should send ordinances prohibiting adult-use establishments to the Agency at LARA-BMR-Enforcement@michigan.gov.

The lists compiled thus far can be reviewed here:

Opt-out: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/MRTMA_Municipality_Opt-Out_Update_1-25-2019_644664_7.pdf

Opted-in, with restrictions: https://www.michigan.gov/documents/lara/MRTMA_Municipality_Opt-In_Update_10-4-19_668404_7.pdf

Recent Articles & Announcements

  1. Michigan Public Cemeteries: Muni...

    Numerous state statues grant municipalities the authority to create and manage public cemeteries. This e-letter explores concepts related to...

    Read More
  2. Are cemeteries owned and operate...

    No. MCL 456.530(1) states that a cemetery owned and operated by a municipal corporation is exempt from the Act. The Act defines a “municip...

    Read More
  3. Review Your Tips Processes Now o...

    In Part 1 of our 3-part series reviewing tipping rules under the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (“FLSA”) and Depart of Labor’s (“D...

    Read More
Talk to an Attorney
Request a Consultation

At Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC, we’ve been helping municipalities, franchised businesses, employers, and more with their legal needs since 2008. We’d love to learn how we can help you, too.