EDMORE — The Edmore Village Council is considering two ordinances that would permit medical marijuana and recreational marijuana businesses to operate in the village, and the public is being asked to weigh in.

Village President Gloria Burr

A public hearing on the matter is set for 6:30 p.m. Monday prior to the Village Council’s regular meeting at the Curtis Community Center, 209 S. Sheldon St.

“An important part of the process is holding a public hearing to ensure that our residents have the opportunity to discuss the proposed ordinances and give us the feedback that we are looking for before we decide on what to do,” Village President Gloria Burr said to the Daily News.

Edmore is currently opted out of both the Medical Marijuana Facilities Act and the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act, which means no medical or recreational marijuana facilities can be licensed by the state or can operate in the village, according to Village Manager Justin Lakamper.

Lakamper said he thinks that in opting out, Village Council members wanted to “err on the side of caution.”

“Most municipalities opted out right away, because the procedures and regulations were unclear at the beginning of the year,” he said. “The state hadn’t released any regulatory rules yet and so, as a precautionary measure, (the Village Council) opted out, because essentially nobody knew what was going to happen.”

Individuals interested in opening a medical marijuana or a recreational marijuana business in Edmore have contacted Lakamper to ask whether the village has opted in.

Per state law, marijuana facilities cannot be issued a state license to operate unless the local municipality has adopted an ordinance that authorizes that type of facility.

Now that the state has regulatory rules in place and has begun issuing permits, council members are ready to consider their options, according to Burr.

“Since a majority of the voters of the state have decided to allow this industry, it is here, and we see these ordinances as a way to regulate it and invite economic development into areas of our village that could use a little boost,” she said.