Mancelona approves marijuana business ordinance

MANCELONA — After almost a year of deliberation, on Tuesday, Sept. 13, the village of Mancelona became the second Antrim County municipality, after Central Lake, to approve an ordinance allowing and regulating retail marijuana businesses.  

Approval of the ordinance, known as Ordinance 115 of 2021, which amends village code, was quite a while in the making, according to Village Council President Mike Allison, who said late last week that the village, while eager to see new businesses in the village, did not want to make the mistakes other area municipalities have made in legalizing the retail sales of marijuana and marijuana products within the village limits. 

"We had lots of meetings with a lot of different people and gained a lot of information over the course of a year or more before moving ahead," Allison said. "We didn't want to make the mistakes that other places, like Traverse City and Central Lake have made. We made sure we did it right."

The Village of Kalkaska, which has allowed retail marijuana businesses for more than a year, was very helpful to Mancelona, Allison noted.

Read the full story in our regular edition of The Review. To subscribe to the paper for just $36 a year, which includes access to our full online e-edition, please go to the subscription page on this website at: http://www.antrimreview.net/subscribe/