Niles Charter Township considers restrictions as dispensary question heads back to voters

NILES, Ind. -- Residents of Niles Charter Township will once again decide in November whether marijuana dispensaries should be allowed in the township, but local officials are considering new zoning restrictions in case voters lift the current ban.

Dispensaries have been prohibited in the township since November 2025, following months of controversy over the potential expansion of marijuana businesses near the Michigan-Indiana state line.

The issue began in June 2025, when the township approved 21 business licenses for dispensaries within a roughly 1.5-mile area near the state line.

The approvals drew opposition from residents who worried about the number of dispensaries and how they could affect the community's appearance and identity.

“If you think about going to Hollywood, you got that beautiful Hollywood sign. You go to Las Vegas, welcome to Las Vegas,” township resident Brian Tarnacki says. “You coming to Niles Township, weed, weed, weed, weed, weed.”

Some property owners also prepared to lease or sell space to potential dispensary operators.

Silvio Martinio, owner of Jay's Lounge, said the township's decision to ban dispensaries left some properties vacant.

“It’s just vacant land, uncared-for land. Are you proud of what you see when you drive through Niles Township?” Martinio says. “I’ve done my part and I’ve taken care of that property, but I’m not gonna do it forever.”

With the dispensary question returning to the November ballot, the township's Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on a proposed special land-use ordinance that would establish regulations for dispensaries if voters decide to allow them.

Township officials said the proposed ordinance is intended to provide protections for residents and establish where dispensaries could operate.

The proposed regulations would require dispensaries to maintain certain distances from schools and churches. Dispensaries also would not be permitted in areas zoned for residential or local business use.

Tarnacki said restrictions around sensitive locations are important.

“We don’t want to have these facilities near churches and schools and daycares,” Tarnacki says.

The proposed special land-use ordinance will next go before the county's Planning Commission before returning to the full Niles Charter Township Board for a final vote.

The ordinance could establish regulations even if voters ultimately decide to allow dispensaries in November.

For residents who opposed dispensaries, the additional restrictions are viewed as a precaution.

“We don’t want to have these facilities near churches and schools and daycares,” Tarnacki says.