By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp. – On Monday night the township board of trustees voted 5-0 to prohibit all marijuana establishments within the boundaries of the township.
The ordinance follows a new state law that goes into effect next month after voters decided to legalize marijuana for adult recreational use on Nov. 6 by a 56-44 percent margin statewide. Michigan is now the first state in the Midwest to offer weed for recreation. In 2008 Michigan voters OK’d medical marijuana.
“There has been a lot of interest,” said Tere Onica, township supervisor. “I’ve had a lot of calls from the marijuana community wanting to open business in Atlas Township.”
Locally, Proposal 1 followed state voters and approved recreational weed in all 13 precincts in Atlas, Brandon and Groveland townships with the exception of Atlas Township Precinct 1 where it lost 616 yes to 633 no. Also, in Brandon Township Precinct 4 Proposal 1 tied 914 yes to 914 no.
Despite the state and local support for recreational marijuana township officials rolled out the not welcome mat with regard to sales in the community.
“We (the township) had a moratorium on the establishment of medical marijuana facilities,” said David Lattie, township attorney on Monday night. “Part of the language in that (Nov. 6) referendum included the ability of municipalities to decided to not participate in the establishment and regulation of recreational marijuana establishments or facilities.”
This does not mean the (township) is going to override the referendum that took place, added Lattie.

“Recreational marijuana is going to be allowed pursuit state statue,” he said. “Under what ever regulations the state passes, they have already identified the number of plants, the amount they can carry, prohibited it in public places. These things are going to occur whether we like it or not. What we can do to try to prevent the use of recreational marijuana is to adopt this ordinance what says you can’t establish sales or stores that sell and nor grow it here commercially, transport it or weigh it or inspect it.”