2 Oakland County communities split on allowing cannabis businesses

Voters in Tuesday's election were split on whether to allow cannabis establishments in two Oakland County communities.

In Lathrup Village, voters soundly defeated two proposals, affirming a 2022 vote to keep cannabis businesses out of the city.

Proposal 1 asked if a current amendment to the City Charter that prohibits cannabis establishments should be repealed. Voters rejected it 1,758 no votes to 1,216 yes. The no responses represented 59.1% of the total.

Proposal 2 asked if the city's ordinances should be amended to allow such businesses. Voters rejected it 1,742 no votes to 1,238 yes.

If Proposal 2 had passed, two retail cannabis outlets and two testing facilities would have been allowed.

Tuesday's voters defeated the Lathrup Village cannabis proposals by a wider margin than they did two years ago. In 2022, the proposal to amend the charter to keep cannabis establishments out of Lathrup Village passed 1,414 yes to 1,211 no.

In Royal Oak Township, voters rejected a proposal that would have prohibited marijuana businesses. The ballot measure read, "Shall the township completely prohibit marijuana establishments?" The vote was 598 no to 548 yes.

Royal Oak Township voters considered the cannabis question twice before.

By a margin of 266 to 111, township voters defeated a proposal in 2019 that would have allowed an unlimited number of cannabis establishments.

Two years ago, township voters repealed that proposal, with 551 voting yes and 377 voting no to allowing cannabis establishments.