Voters in the Village of Pentwater have a decision to make about marijuana businesses and their place in the village.
A ballot measure will appear on the May 3 ballot asking if residents are in favor of repealing an ordinance allowing medical and recreational marijuana facilities, which the Pentwater Village Council approved last summer.
The referendum, placed on the ballot through a signature-gathering effort, asks voters to consider prohibiting medical and recreational provisioning centers and retailers in the village as defined by current state law.
If the majority votes “yes,” marijuana retailers in the village will not be allowed.
A “no” vote from the majority would uphold the ordinance approved by the village council, according to Pentwater Village Manager Chris Brown.
The village council’s ordinance, which allows for the village to issue to permits to prospective marijuana retailers, was approved in a 5-1 vote in July 2021, “after two years of studying and looking at (the issue),” Brown said.
“In the research process, they thought it would be beneficial, and it would bring commerce and traffic throughout the year,” Brown said.
Once the council approved the ordinance, it went to the village’s planning and zoning commission.
“At that point in time it sparked a little bit of public input, and a group of citizens got enough signatures (to get a referendum on the ballot),” Brown said.
Public opposition interrupted the process, which otherwise would have led to amendments to the zoning ordinance to determine where marijuana establishments should be located and which zoning requirements should apply to them.
The group behind the referendum is led by former village council member Dan Hoekstra, who told the Daily News that in December 2021 his Concerned Citizens of Pentwater group gathered 77 signatures — he said the group needed only 31 — through a signature drive.
Hoekstra said the main aim of the referendum is to give all residents a chance to weigh in on the issue, as he and his group believe that the matter should not be decided by the council alone.
“Just get the village electors to vote on it,” Hoekstra said. “Just let the people talk. Let the people speak.”
He said if the referendum is not approved, his group won’t push the issue further.
“There will not be another step. If the village decides they want to have pot shops in the village, so be it,” Hoekstra said. “We’re not going out there saying we’re going to take this to the very end.
“Whichever way it goes, we’ll live with it. It’s a democratic process and we wanted to go down that process.”
Brown noted that marijuana has long been a divisive issue in the area, with some residents — like those in Hoekstra’s group — vocally opposing marijuana businesses and others supporting the idea, citing economic benefits.
Some urged the council to reconsider the issue before the referendum came about. In October 2021, a motion to rescind the July 2021 ordinance was voted down 4-3.
Brown said about 51% of the voters in Pentwater Township, which includes the village, voted in favor of legalizing marijuana in 2018 when Proposal 1 was on the ballot. According to the Oceana County website, the total vote for the township was 546 in favor of the proposal, with 534 against it.
It’s a small majority, Brown said, but “it’s a majority.” He noted that the council pursued the ordinance under the belief that it was what the community wanted, though he reiterated that the village is split on the matter.
“It’s kind of 50/50,” Brown said. “It’s a difficult road to navigate.”
Brown said the village council’s position is that “the best route is to let the people decide.” The zoning process was paused so village leaders could see the outcome of the election.
The referendum on the May 3 ballot also seeks to “(retain) uses previously permitted under the Medical Marijuana Act,” according to ballot language from the Michigan Secretary of State website. Brown said he’s not entirely sure how that would work, given that the medical marijuana guidelines were essentially made obsolete by Proposal 1.
If the referendum passes, Brown said he believes the council will follow the community’s lead.
“Overall, whatever the voters speak in this situation, I’m sure the council will listen to them,” he said. “That’s why they did what they did in the beginning.”
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