Buchanan medical marijuana facility vote tabled

BUCHANAN, Mich. - The Buchanan City Commission has tabled its vote on the location of the medical marijuana facility after a group of business owners presented a petition at Monday night's meeting.

The meeting kicked off with a public hearing, where many neighbors said they're still not on board with the facility.

"Rather than just looking at a potential or hopeful potential income or revenue from it, that you would think about the moral character of the community," said Corbin Detgen, who lives in Buchanan.

“It seems as though the people that come in and say they don’t want it, you go ahead and do what you want to do and don’t worry about the people. I realize there’s money to be made, and the money is good for Buchanan. I realize that’s the main thing you’re looking at, but I don’t agree that it should go downtown. I think it should be in an area away from the city," said Thomas Wilson, who also lives in Buchanan.

The Buchanan City Commission is looking at putting in a medical marijuana facility in the former home video store across the library.

They've also looked at opening in an industrial area away from downtown.

For months, the commission has looked at regulatory issues as community members spoke out against weed working its way into the heart of their city.

While many are still opposed, other business owners are excited about the opportunity they say a medical marijuana facility would bring.

“The buildings are just sitting there. They're going to be collapsing soon, because nobody’s spending any money on the buildings. And that video store building, somebody’s going to come and want to spend half a million dollars on the building and fix it up. It’s going to be left behind for the community 50 or 100 years from now," said Dean Ulrich, who owns Dean Antiques in downtown Buchanan.

“The economic development that you guys are potentially looking at here, Buchanan hasn’t seen that in a long, long time, and if they don’t grab ahold of these ideas, then they’re going to lose," said William Haas, a potential business owner in Buchanan.

The commission has to verify the 20+ names and addresses on the petition before voting on the ordinance, so the vote has been moved to November 13.