By Jim Newell

Review Editor

The Orion Township Board of Trustees approved permits for four medical marijuana provisioning centers, or dispensaries, during its meeting on Monday.

The township’s Ordinance 154 Subcommittee of Trustees Julia Dalrymple and Brian Birney reviewed the applications and made the recommendations to the board, which voted 6-0 to approve four permits and deny one. Trustee Michael J. Flood, Jr. was absent from the meeting.

Under the township’s Ordinance 154 (Licensed Marihuana Facilities Ordinance), the township is limited to granting only four provisioning center permits. The township opened the application period on Oct. 6 with a deadline of Nov. 5.

Ordinance 154 allows the township board to regulate and authorize medical marijuana provisioning centers within the township borders.

The Ordinance 154 Subcommittee the applications and scored each applicant on a nine point scale. The four businesses that were granted permits each earned nine points. The fifth applicant received seven of nine points.

Applicants were assessed on the completeness of the application, whether the application met location requirements set forth in the ordinance and the number of criteria met in Section X of the ordinance.

Permits were granted to:

• Natrabis Cultivation, LLC, which expects to have its provisioning center operational within six months and is committed to donating up to $20,000 annually within the township. Donations for the first year, according to township documents, include the Orion Art Center, Special Olympics of Lake Orion, Oxford-Orion FISH, Blessings in a Backpack and the Orion War Memorial.

• Focus Group Enterprises, LLC, which is expected to be operational in 10-12 months and will donate $50,000 to the Miracle Field and three percent of net income thereafter, with a $25,000 minimum and a $50,000 maximum. Focus Group Enterprises, LLC is an owner in the commercial cultivation facility on Premier Drive.

• Candid, Inc. expects to be operational with 10-12 months and will donate $50,000 to the Miracle Field and three percent of net income thereafter, with a $25,000 minimum and a $50,000 maximum. Candid, Inc. is an owner in the Oakland Business Park, a $40 million investment project in the township and possesses a township permit for processing at 163 Premier Drive.

• Peninsula Agriculture, LLC expects to be operational in 10-12 months and will donate or sponsor local charities and will create an employee volunteer program.

V. Gage Cannabis was denied a permit because its application was “not substantially complete” and provided a lease option, which is not sufficient under Ordinance 154, according to Orion Township board packet documents. V. gage Cannabis also did not have any demonstrated experience in Orion Township.

The Orion Township Board of Trustees approved an amendment to Ordinance 154 Licensed Marihuana Facilities at its Oct. 4 meeting.

The purpose of the ordinance amendment is to provide the township with regulation over licensed marijuana facilities and caregiver operations.

Orion Township’s ordinance is separate from the State of Michigan process and approval for the state’s marijuana permit.

Under the ordinance, the township can charge up to $5,000 annually for permit fees “to defray the cost of administration and enforcement of this Ordinance.”

The township can also charge a one-time $5,000 application fee, meaning the township would collect $10,000 the first year that a facility applies for a permit.

Ordinance 154 does not permit recreational sales and dispensaries within the township borders.

See next week’s issue of The Lake Orion Review for an expanded look at the applications and board member comments.