Marijuana proposals back on the ballot for Niles Charter Township residents, future of pot shops in limbo

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- Niles Charter Township residents will see a couple new proposals on their election ballots come November.

It includes a choice they've seen before, asking if marijuana dispensaries can open up shop in the township.

On Monday night the Township Board approved two proposals to appear on the ballot, but it leaves residents and even board members with more questions than answers.

One proposal would have residents vote on more controls on what the marijuana establishments could do in regards to zoning, and the second one would place a total prohibition on the establishments altogether.

A major question points to the 29 potential marijuana establishments that already received and paid for licenses to open up shop in the township.

Right now council leaders say they don't know what will happen to those 29 establishments if residents vote for a prohibition.

"The properties are there, they've purchased or have agreements with property owners, I don't know what they're going to do, I really don't," says Marge Durm-Hiatt, Niles Charter Township Supervisor.

It all stems from petitions that garnered enough signatures from township residents that push for the matter to be back up to voters on their election ballots in November.

In the last election cycle, in November of 2024, 52% of township voters said 'Yes' to establishing a marijuana ordinance.

The township moved forward with that ordinance, and have since given the green light to 29 pot shops to occupy property on the half mile stretch from Stateline Road to Fulkerson Road.

Now, councilmembers like Durm-Hiatt don't know what to tell the owners of those potential dispensaries on whether or not they should move forward with their plans to open their doors.

"There's millions of dollars that have exchanged hands here, some of them are just on conditional, if we get it approved, but some of them actually, they purchased a property," explains Durm-Hiatt. "I compare it to, you have money and you go to the casino hoping to make a lot of money, and sometimes you lose." 

There's no good answer right now for what would happen to the local businesses that closed and sold their property to a potential marijuana establishment.

Durm-Hiatt says the township has no control over what happens from here on after the vote in November. It'll strictly be between the buyers and sellers of the properties and how they wish to move forward.