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After Months of Review Marlette City Will Allow Marijuana Businesses
Mary Drier/Mike Kaufman
Sun, 19 Oct 2025 05:23:56 EDT
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During a special meeting earlier this month, the Marlette City Council approved ordinances to allow marijuana establishments in the city.
Under the new zoning regulations and ordinance, the city will allow marijuana establishments in industrial/manufacturing zoned areas in the city.
Allowing such businesses in the community has been debated for several months during several meetings.
The decision to allow marijuana businesses was not a unanimous one.
Before the meeting to allow such a business in the city was conducted, a council member filed a petition against it. Charles Bush, filed a petition to prohibit marijuana retail sales and grow operations in the city.
Although Bush is the city's mayor, he took such action as a citizen of the community.
His petition had 130 signatures, which the city clerk has to verify as being valid signatures of registered voters.
According to election regulations, he only needed to have 33 valid signatures of city residents.
If at least 33 of those who signed the petition are deemed as valid, there will be an election for city residents to vote on if they want to allow marijuana businesses in the city or not.
Even if the signatures on the petitions are verified, and the election on the marijuana issue won't be voted on until 2026.
Besides being mayor, Bush is a retired Michigan State Police Trooper, who is very much opposed to marijuana establishments except for ones that sell for medical purposes.
Voters in Michigan passed laws that legalized both medical and recreational marijuana.
Although the council approved marijuana businesses, there are several more steps before they can start operating.
The council has to adopt regulations, accept applications for such a business, review licenses before such a business can start operating.
Those issues are expected to be addressed and worked on during future meetings.
