(New Buffalo Township, MI) - A moratorium has been placed on the exploding number of marijuana dispensaries outside New Buffalo.

 

New Buffalo Township was on its way to having close to 30 or more dispensaries when the moratorium was approved by the township board last week.

 

A number of dispensaries are already operating along Michigan 239 in the area of Interstate 94, and more are on their way along that stretch of highway, with others close to opening or in development along U.S. 12 due to the applications from those operators having been approved before the moratorium's passage.

 

New Buffalo Mayor John Humphrey has been critical of the township for carelessly opening the door to such a dispensary explosion. At the beginning, Humphrey explained, the township board could have limited the number of sites marijuana dispensaries could operate in through zoning restrictions.

 

“I think it’s ridiculous they’re even in this situation. If they didn’t expect this then they should have done their research on what they were expecting,” he said.

 

Marijuana dispensaries remain illegal in the city limits of New Buffalo under a state law giving local governments the option to allow or not to allow them within their jurisdictions.

 

Humphrey said the city is busy enough, especially during the summer tourism season, without having to deal with the possible negative consequences of having “this intense concentration of marijuana dispensaries” outside its corporate boundaries.

 

“Now we have to worry about people who want to stop by one of these places, then maybe take the ride down to the beach to illegally enjoy their purchase. It’s just more stuff we have to manage. I just wish it was handled better,” he said.

 

The use of marijuana in public under Michigan law is prohibited.

 

Township officials want to take a second look at their ordinance governing dispensaries and other data before deciding whether to lift or leave the moratorium in place.