Proposed Marijuana ordinance could allow drive-thru services in Michigan town

Posted May 11, 2023 on NBC 24

PORTAGE - The city council of a small town in Michigan is considering a proposed ordinance amendment that, if passed, could allow drive-thru services at local marijuana businesses.

First introduced for first reading April 18, Ordinance Amendment #22/23-9 looks to change several commercial marijuana development standards to match recent changes within Michigan's Cannabis Regulatory Agency, or CRA, and to "better position land for future development," according to the Portage City Council.

Proposed amendments include the following:

Remove ban on drive-thru marijuana operations to match CRA standards, allowing only marijuana retailers (adult use/recreation), provisioning centers (medical), and micro-businesses (grow, process, and sell in a single location), have drive-through service.
Create new drive-thru queuing standards for aforementioned uses, matching other city zoning drive-through businesses to manage areas for queuing, general site circulation, and parking.
Proposal to prohibit outdoor growing of marijuana to "better position those valuable industrial properties for higher development opportunities." No changes to indoor marijuana growth.
Rename 'marihuana' to "marijuana,' matching the CRA.