The East Lansing City Council failed to pass a medical marijuana ordinance Tuesday night.
The vote came a week before the state's voters decide on legalizing pot for recreational use.
FOX 47 News's Cryss Walker spoke with city officials about why they choose to tackle this issue now, instead of after the statewide vote.
East Lansing City Council members say drafting Ordinance 1416A was a challenge, but getting it to pass has been equally tough.
“It took so long because we wanted to do the right thing. You know it has to be the East Lansing version of things. You know we saw some other communities struggle with medical marijuana provisioning centers,” said Mayor Mark Meadows.
Voters are now just days away from deciding on recreational marijuana and the city of East Lansing is still working out the kinks of its ordinance for medical marijuana provision centers.
“What we're talking about specifically is what you will call a dispensary, right, so the actual avenue for a medical marijuana patient to go and purchase the medicine that they need and where those would be located,” Council member Aaron Stephens explained.
“What restrictions will they have on them, you know from everything from controlling odor to how the building looks.”
Tuesday night council members gathered to discuss how medical marijuana shops will be regulated one year after passing an ordinance on growing and processing centers.
Council members told FOX 47 News that they are concerned about losing some levels of local control on medical marijuana if proposal one passes without an ordinance.
“One of the things that the state tends to do is to do something called preempt local government and local government control,” Stephens said.
Members say they're working against the clock to try to finally come to an agreement before voters head to the polls.
Tuesday a state judge extended the deadline for unlicensed medical marijuana shops.
A hearing is set for Nov. 9.
