Michigan Border Towns Push Back on Marijuana Expansion

(NILES TOWNSHIP, MI) - Border communities in Michigan are responding to concerns about too many marijuana businesses located along state borders. On Tuesday, voters in Niles Township rejected a proposal to allow 21 new dispensaries along a single road. Nearly 60% of voters supported a measure banning new cannabis shops, according to Bridge Michigan. Many cited worries about the impact on their community and said they wanted to avoid the dense concentration of stores seen in other parts of the county. In Menominee, along the Wisconsin border, voters approved a cap limiting the city to nine dispensaries. The decision follows months of legal disputes and licensing battles over cannabis businesses. Local leaders said the new limits strike a balance--supporting existing stores while preventing unchecked growth. These local actions come as Michigan's cannabis market faces mounting challenges. The state now has more than 850 dispensaries across 75 counties, leading to an oversupply that's driven prices down and forced some retailers out of business. State lawmakers are also debating a 24% wholesale tax and considering legislation that would cap the number of marijuana businesses statewide. You can read the full story from Bridge Michigan