GRAND LEDGE, Mich. — Another city is banning pot shops, at least for now.
Grand Ledge temporarily joins a few other tri-county areas against the sale of cannabis.
The city council voted Monday night to ban the shops until the state department of licensing and regulatory affairs has its regulations in place.
After that, they'll have up to 180 days to revisit the measure.
Council members say once marijuana is regulated like alcohol and tobacco, it will benefit the city and the people who live there.
"We have many places to buy alcohol, we have many places to buy tobacco, there's no reason why we shouldn't have a place for people that consumer cannabis to purchase legal recreational cannabis," said Council member Michael Doty.
The vote passed 6-1 Monday night.
For them, waiting makes the process of regulating marijuana less complicated, and reduces the stigma attached to recreational cannabis users.
Just because the shops are banned, doesn't mean that marijuana smokers can't indulge.
But businesses that do sell recreational marijuana could end up paying a fine of up to $500.
