Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A group is now pushing another local community to take steps to allow marijuana-related facilities or face a potential ballot question in the November 2024 election to be decided by voters.

In 2018, Michigan became the first midwestern state to allow both medical and adult-use marijuana use.

Since then, most local municipalities have elected to “opt-out” of allowing such facilities. Among those is Howell Township, which currently has a moratorium in place on such facilities.

It received correspondence from an attorney about adopting an ordinance for recreational marijuana, and a proposed ballot initiative. The City of Howell received the same letter. It came from Ypsilanti Attorney Anderson Grandstaff and states he has been retained as corporate counsel for an organization that’s planning to circulate petitions in support of a ballot initiative in the township. The letter states “My client has connected with many of your constituents and believes that there would be strong grassroots support for the passage of the attached ballot initiative”. The client is not named.

The letter states that if approved by a majority of the electors, the proposed ballot initiative would end Howell’s prohibition on recreational/adult-use marihuana retail businesses and establish a regulatory framework for the licensure of those businesses. The ordinance would also establish procedures and guidelines for employees to follow when reviewing, scoring, and ranking applications submitted by entities who are interested in obtaining adult-use marihuana retail licenses.

The correspondence was discussed the Township Board’s March meeting. Supervisor Mark Coddington tells WHMI the Board discussed the letter and its content. He said a motion to allow them to come into the Township without having to go out for petition signatures and send it to the Planning Commission failed in a 2-4 vote with one member absent.

Trustees Harold Melton and Bob Wilson were in support. Wilson has since requested the item be placed on the agenda again for tonight’s meeting at 6:30pm.

Wilson said he favors having a dispensary in the township, which is the perfect area out of town and out of site. He said in 2018, 73% of voters voted to legalize marijuana and he’s conducted some polls online. Wilson asserts a majority of constituents want a dispensary in the area as many people are tired of driving 20 miles or more to get products that are prescribed by doctors.

A copy of the letter is attached.