Royal Oak approves permits for 3 marijuana businesses despite lawsuits, controversy

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Royal Oak City Commission approved three marijuana business permits this week after a long meeting.

The commission voted 5-1 for the businesses at the five-hour-long meeting that stretched Tuesday morning. The vote comes after lawsuits and pushback from some community members.

"Are we going to open up the flood gates? I kind of doubt it. I think we are going to do this incrementally," said Paul Brake, the city manager.

Gatsby Cannabis, Royal Treatment, and Best Lyfe received the permits.

Gatsby Cannabis 

One of the businesses will be about 88 feet from a vocational school, a plan that caused controversy.

Under state law, marijuana businesses are supposed to be at least 1,000 feet from a school unless a lesser distance is approved by local officials, which is the case in Royal Oak.

Brake said since it's zone as industrial it’s not given the same protections as it would if it were a neighborhood. 

"If you also look at the location of the school its right across the from Meijer, which has alcohol and tobacco," Brake said. I think there is an acceptance of alcohol and tobacco where also marijuana and cannabis, it’s so new."

Before approval, Gatsby Cannabis - promised quarter of a million dollars to local groups in Royal Oak.

"That was part of the considerations, the donations, the volunteer hours things like that because we have a number of charitable and philanthropic endeavors we would like to see furthered," Brake said. "There was not enough reasons not to process these permits at last night's meeting. Again, a very slow deliberate carefully thought out process."

Royal Oak said the approval of permits are not forever. They’ll go up for review at the end of the first year.

"If they don't live up to what was promised then you know we can have a discussion with them otherwise the commission has the ability to revoke it," Brake said.