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Adult-Use Marihuana

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The City of Pontiac has approved emergency ordinance #2428 a moratorium on the issuance of adult-use marihuana permits and suspended city ordinances #2406 City of Pontiac Adult-Use Marihuana Business Ordinance and #2407 An Ordinance to Amend the City of Pontiac Zoning Ordinance to include adult-use marihuana businesses in designated overlay districts.
Click here to view Emergency Ordinance #2428

The moratorium will end after the certification of the February 27, 2024 election results on Proposal 1 Ordinance #2424 an ordinance to amend Ordinance #2406 City of Pontiac Adult-Use Business Ordinance. Proposal 1 will appear on the February 27, 2024 ballot.
Click here to view Proposal 1
Click here to view Ordinance #2424 in its entirety

Background
Update on Adult-Use Marihuana Ordinances

On April 4, 2023, Pontiac City Council members voted to approve two (2) Marihuana Adult-Use Ordinances - Business Ordinance 2406 and Zoning Ordinance 2407 - after several months of diligent deliberations and public meetings. Passage meant the Zoning Ordinance was effective April 20, 2023, and the Business Ordinance was effective May 4, 2023.

Prior to the ordinances becoming effective, on May 3, 2023, Sensible Cannabis Reform submitted more than the required number of petition signatures challenging both Ordinances. The signatures were counted and deemed valid. Pursuant to the Charter, the matter went before the Council on May 16, 2023, which voted to uphold the language of both Ordinances as approved on April 4, 2023. As a result, the Ordinances were paused and both Ordinance 2406 and Ordinance 2407 were to be voted on as Referendums in the November General Election.

However, on August 31, 2023 by court order Ordinance 2406 (proposal 1) Adult-Use Marihuana Business Licensing Ordinance and Ordinance 2407 (proposal 2) Adult-Use Zoning Ordinance were removed from November 7, 2023 ballot. The City agreed to make amendments to Ordinance 2406.

The City Council approved amendments to Ordinance 2406 on October 10, 2023. The amendments are known as Ordinance 2424. On November 9, 2023 a different organization, Citizens for Equitable Cannabis Reform, submitted more than the required number of petition signatures challenging Ordinance 2424. The signatures were counted and deemed valid. Pursuant to Charter, the matter went before the Council on November 21, 2023 which voted to uphold the language of Ordinance 2424 as approved on October 10, 2023.

As a result, the Ordinance has now been paused and will be voted on as a Referendum on the February 27, 2024 Presidential Primary Ballot. If Ordinance 2424 is not approved by the voters, then Ordinance 2406 will be implemented as approved by the City Council on April 4, 2023.

•  Ordinance 2406 City of Pontiac Adult-Use Marihuana Business Ordinance
• Ordinance 2407 Adult-Use Marihuana Zoning

• Cesar Chavez Overlay District Map
• Downtown Overlay District Map
• Walton Blvd. Overlay District Map
• Woodward Ave. Overlay District Map

The 21 day application period for Provisioning Centers has closed. Applications were accepted January 6, 2020 to January 27, 2020