Warren mayor vetoes city council’s vote to reject marijuana settlement proposal

WARREN, Mich. – Days after the Warren City Council voted 5-2 to reject a marijuana settlement proposal, Mayor Jim Fouts has vetoed that vote.

The proposal would have granted 28 licenses for medical marijuana provisional centers in Warren. Additionally, it would have dismissed litigation filed by 31 applicants over the original selection process that a judge said violated the Open Meetings Act.

The council’s next meeting is Dec. 8 where it could vote to override Fouts’ veto.

The council met and voted on the settlement Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Previous coverage:

• Marijuana settlement proposal rejected by Warren City Council
• Warren seeking public input on proposed lawsuit settlement to award 28 marijuana licenses
• Controversy continues over medical marijuana dispensaries licensing process in Warren

“Several members of the previous city council were fed by greed and corruption and charted a course behind closed doors at the direction of the mayor and the legal advice of city attorney Vinson.” Councilman Jonathan Lafferty said during Tuesday’s meeting.

The city found itself in legal trouble after a Macomb County judge ruled that its marijuana licensing process under the former city council was done in secret and violated the Open Meetings Act. Fifteen licenses that the city approved in 2019 were deemed invalid. Thirty-one marijuana business owners sued the city over that process.

The current city council was presented with the settlement earlier this month to grant 28 new licenses in lieu of the original 15 licenses.