For the past three years, Alma city officials have allowed various types of medical marijuana facilities to be licensed and operate in the city, but have so far prohibited the sale of recreational marijuana.

However, that could change.

Over the past few months, city commissioners have received correspondence from those who would like to see the regulations regarding the sale of recreational marijuana changed.

A few of them came from Consume Cannabis, 528 Warwick Drive, one of three medical marijuana supply centers licensed to operate in the city and currently the only one open.

Last August, owner Joey Kejbou gave a PowerPoint presentation to city commissioners outlining the benefits of legalizing the sale of adult-use marijuana, including the money the city would receive in additional dollars and license fees. annual.

Earlier in the month, the company’s deputy operations manager, Allen Martin, sent a letter to the commissioners again asking that local rules governing the sale of recreational marijuana be changed.

He noted there are nine adult retailers within 42 miles of Alma, including three townships, Mt. Pleasant, Edmore and Crystal, which are 20 miles or less from the city.

Martin also added that another, in Arcada Township of Gratiot County, is about to open. This will be located on the site of the former Crossroads Bar & Grill, just one mile east of Alma’s city limits.

“We understand this will be a meticulous process and are more than willing to help create a fair process for special use permits, zoning issues and adult use retailer licensing,” Martin wrote.

When city commissioners withdrew from the Michigan Regulation and Taxation Marijuana Act, which would have allowed the sale of recreational marijuana three years ago, they cited the regulations at the time were vague but might be willing to discuss further of the issue once the law became more clear.

It looks like the time has come, according to acting City Manager Aeric Ripley.

“The board will resume discussion at the March 22 meeting,” he said. “The first thing they should do is rescind the ordinance banning the sale of recreational marijuana that they passed in 2019. That would be the first step.”

Ripley added that he had heard that the other two companies that were granted licenses to operate medical marijuana supply centers in the city would not be able to open unless the sale of adult-use marijuana is approved by the city.

These are Pure Lapeer, which is believed to be located in the former Pizza Hut building on Wright Avenue, and ENZEE, owned by local lawyers Zack Everitt and Nancy Gallagher and their wives.

City commissioners recently approved the transfer of the license previously held by How Smooth It Is, which never opened, to ENZEE, located at 116 E. Superior St. in the former Cardboard Addiction building, previously owned by Everitt and Gallagher.

Additionally, Everitt and his wife Becky, his brother Josh and his wife Kara, have formed Fire Island LLC, the company that owns the new recreational marijuana dispensary that is about to open in Arcada Township.

The owner of Consume Cannabis previously told city commissioners that since the state began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana, there has been a “significant decrease” in marijuana cardholders for recreational purposes. medical, registered caregivers and sales.

One option city commissioners should consider is raising the issue as a referendum, which would allow residents to vote on whether or not to allow the sale of recreational marijuana in the city.