NILES TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WNDU) – It appears voters in Niles Township are pushing back against marijuana dispensaries in the township… again.
According to the unofficial results from Tuesday night’s general election, 61% of voters said no to a referendum on a zoning amendment that would have allowed 29 cannabis businesses to move forward in the application process.
Meanwhile, nearly 58% voted to ban marijuana dispensaries in the township altogether.
This comes just one year after the township approved dispensaries moving closer to the Indiana state line and seven months after the township passed a law allowing an unlimited amount of pot shops.
Three elections have now taken place on the issue in five years, as voters rejected allowing marijuana businesses in the township in 2020.
Stephen Hallam, general manager of Vape & Smoke Niles, said he was surprised by the most recent result because he has seen many people from Indiana cross the state border into Michigan to buy cannabis products.
“When they get tax revenue from this, that helps schools and roads and things that are essential in literally every community, especially here in Niles,” Hallam said. “It’s a small community. They need as much tax revenue as possible.”
Hallam said marijuana dispensaries would bring benefits to the community, and he believes many people who would benefit from cannabis dispensaries either did not vote or were unaware of the vote.
However, there’s been a lot of debate in recent months among community members about an overabundance of marijuana shops in the area as well as the township’s proximity to the Indiana border, where recreational marijuana is not legal.
Niles Township resident Ernie Riggs said he has seen enough cannabis dispensaries in the area and expects smaller shops to close as corporate cannabis businesses move in.
“And I can see a lot of these smaller cannabis shops closing in the near future because of corporate cannabis shops coming into the area. So, I’m glad it failed,” Riggs said.
Despite knowing the township has been struggling financially, Riggs said the township would benefit more from other types of businesses.
“I’d like to see the township focus more on service-oriented businesses, restaurants, grocery stores, retail stores,” Riggs said. “That would be a much better option.”
Marge Durm-Hiatt, supervisor for Niles Charter Township, said the township must hold a referendum as long as there is a petition with enough signatures.
“If people get the correct number of signatures on a ballot issue or on a referendum, we pretty much have to go forward with it,” Durm-Hiatt said.
Although the township respects the election result, Durm-Hiatt said cannabis dispensaries would have brought economic benefits.
“I think it’s unfortunate that Niles Township will not be seeing the benefits,” she said.
Hallam said there was not enough communication about the issue until after the fact, and residents are fed up with seeing the same issue on the ballot repeatedly.
Once the state of Michigan officially certifies the election results, all 30 or so temporary permits the township gave out to potential cannabis dispensaries will no longer be valid.
The same issue could become a referendum and appear on next year’s midterm ballot.
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