The City of Sault Ste Marie has "Opted In" regarding permissible facilities identified by MI state laws that govern medical and recreational marijuana, making most facilities permissible to operate within the City. Each facility is required to get administrative approval and a permit to operate within the City. Permits need to be renewed every year. In addition to the Medical/Adult Use permit, applicants and developers will need to ensure compliance with all zoning ordinances. The process and key contacts are listed below.
Process:
- Once an applicant has a lease, purchase agreement, or ownership of a property, they may submit an application for staff to review. All applications can be sent to the City Clerks Office at 225 East Portage Avenue, Sault Sainte Marie MI 49783. The City Clerk’s Office will stamp the application with the date it is received.
- Once staff has received an application, it will be distributed to various staff members to ensure compliance with local and state laws.
- If no issues appear during the initial review, applicants will receive a “conditional review” which will allow them to build out their facility.
- Once the facility is completed, the applicant will need to schedule a time for staff to conduct a walk-through of the facility to ensure compliance with all state and local laws.
- After the facility receives “approval”, the business is clear to operate.
General Information:
- All zoning, building, application and land use questions can be directed to Community Development Director, Kelly Freeman at kfreeman [at] saultcity.com or by phone at 906-635-5703.
- All applications must be submitted with the appropriate fee. See application for more information.
- The City did not incorporate a quota or time frame for applications. Applications can be submitted at any point after an applicant has control of a piece of property through either a lease, purchase agreement, or completed sale of property.