Cannabis real estate developer Jeffrey Yatooma could soon have dominance of Auburn Hills’ marijuana market.
Yatooma’s impending dominance comes after a creative and successful ballot initiative that led to Auburn Hills voters approving weed businesses in the city in November 2022.
But the path for the city has not been straightforward. A month before the vote, City Council effectively blocked marijuana licensing, and Yatooma, with an amendment to zoning rules. And now the council is flipping again. The city’s economic development team is expected to recommend a new marijuana ordinance to council next month that would approve licenses for just four properties, three of which are owned by Yatooma.
Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel and his economic development team declined to comment on the matter, and more than a dozen emails to members of the Auburn Hills City Council were not returned. (Full Story)