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Pleasantrees received an extension to its conditional marihuana designated consumption establishment permit from the Mount Clemens City Commission on Feb. 18. The firm plans to open a consumption business in its 237 North River Road location after new state regulations are approved sometime later this year.
Photo by Patricia O’Blenes
MOUNT CLEMENS — The legal public consumption of cannabis in the seat of Macomb County will have to wait a little longer, though the city is not to blame.
On Feb. 18, Mount Clemens city commissioners approved an extension of the conditional marihuana designated consumption establishment permit for VBJG Mt. Clemens LLC — better known as Pleasantrees — that gives the Harrison Township-based company permission to operate a consumption lounge in the city for another year.
However, such an establishment at the former Gibraltar Trade Center will not open just yet.
“Pleasantrees is now asking for a second extension, due to recent changes to the Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s rules and regulations, which will not become effective until late 2025,” Mount Clemens City Manager Gregg Shipman said. “Pleasantrees has delayed opening a marihuana designated consumption establishment on their premises until these new operating rules are in effect and accordingly are requesting that their conditional permit be granted an additional one-year extension.”
The new rules proposed by the CRA were first published in November 2024 and remain under consideration. Changes proposed are extensive, including provisions that would affect the operation of multiple marijuana businesses within the same building. In the case of the Pleasantrees operation, that is relevant because the existing dispensary and proposed consumption site would take place at the same 237 North River Road address.
“I generally would rather see them take the time to open in accordance with the new rules once they hit instead of, like, open, close, adjust to the new rules (and) open again,” City Commissioner Erik Rick said. “It seems just practical to give them another year (and) wait for the wheels of government to turn slowly (and) spit out the new rules.”
Approved unanimously, it is the second extension commissioners have granted to the consumption permit. A first extension was granted at the meeting on Jan. 3, 2024, under the terms of the city’s marijuana business ordinance allowing the commission to grant one-year extensions to permits.
Snow removal update
During the reading of the city manager’s report, Shipman dedicated time to go over the work being done by the Department of Public Services between Wednesday, Feb. 12 and Monday, Feb. 17. According to the National Weather Service, nearby communities in Macomb County received 4 inches of snowfall between Feb. 12-13 and another 3 1/2 to 4 inches between Feb. 15-16.
Over the course of Feb. 12-17, the department accumulated 518 staff hours over shifts that ran back-to-back with as little as one hour in between. Several pieces of equipment had breakdowns during the storm, requiring vehicles to be taken out of service and some parts to be temporarily swapped on snow-removal machines. The Water and Sewer Department responded to two water main breaks during the snowfall period.
