Mt. Pleasant city commissioners on Tuesday approved an extension for a cannabis business over the strong objections of one of their own.

After voicing his strong opinion that he doesn’t approve of the number of cannabis dispensaries in Mt. Pleasant, commissioner John Zang was the lone no vote, saying he does not want the city to be known as the “pot capitol of Michigan.”

Zang also said now that the “serious health risks” of cannabis are known, the city should not be promoting the substance, and that Haze MP, which has conditional authorization to operate and adult use recreational cannabis retailer at 914 E. Pickard St., did not provide enough information on the need for the six month extension.

Mt. Pleasant Interim City Clerk Marilyn Wixson said in a memo to City Manager Aaron Desentz that Haze MP LLC submitted the request for a six-month extension on some of the deadlines related to the conditional authorization, and provided a timeline to the city.

State law requires applicants to get an operating license within 18 months of receiving conditional authorization, but the city commission can grant extensions for good cause, Wixon said in the memo.

Haze MP’s original deadline was June 8, but the extension gives the owners until Dec. 8 and was requested in part because of unforeseen challenges in obtaining the necessary third party bids and material delays, according to Wixon.

Saying he doesn’t know whether the cause of the delays will be solved by the Dec. 8 deadline, Zang noted that the availability of cannabis implies that it’s safe to use,  Zang’s assertion that it has negative health impacts was met with challenges from other commissioners.

Commissioner Mary Alsager, who filled Zang in on the history of cannabis licensing in the city – there was originally a limit of three licenses for retail but litigation prompted the city to allow for more – said the request was no different than any other business the city has supported in the past.

Commissioner Liz Busch said she understood Zang’s point of view but also noted that Haze is no different than any other business applicant, and that the city received $800,000 from the state, no strings attached, form cannabis licenses.

Busch also warned against trying to stop business growth because of personal beliefs.

“This country tried prohibition once 100 years ago, and it didn’t work out,” Busch said. “Should Mt. Pleasant also outlaw alcohol, because alcohol certainly causes more health damages than marijuana does.”

Busch also said cannabis dispensaries in Mt. Pleasant created jobs, rehabilitated empty buildings and added to the tax roll.

Addressing Busch, Zang said he understands that cannabis is legal in Michigan but doesn’t think the city should go out of its way to approve an extension when Haze MP didn’t meet the requirements and did not sufficiently explain why.

Mt. Pleasant Police Chief Paul Lauria said there has been no increase in crime related to cannabis dispensaries, and that the overwhelming majority of complaints relate to the smell.