It is heartening to see the Ferndale area brake with Detroit metro and approve zoning for medical marijuana dispensaries. Read the details below:

The City Council amended zoning ordinances Monday to allow for medical marijuana businesses in the city.

Marijuana businesses will be allowed in the city under special land use permits to be issued by the Planning Commission in designated zones, said City Manager Robert Bruner.

As it stands medical pot businesses are limited to three zones — light industrial, heavy industrial and office space districts.

However, any marijuana business that includes more than 20 percent of its space for growing pot is prohibited from the office district.

The office space district in Ferndale is concentrated mostly along quarter-mile stretches of Eight Mile and Nine Mile roads on the east side of the city.

The heavy and light industrial districts are clustered chiefly around the Grand Trunk Railroad tracks which run parallel to Woodward several blocks to the east.

Bruner said marijuana businesses under the new rules are not allowed in the central business district or along major thoroughfares such as Woodward, Hilton, Livernois and most of Eight Mile and Nine Mile Roads.

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