NILES — The city of Niles could see two additional medical marijuana provisioning centers after council members voted 5-2 to approve provisional licenses for new businesses Monday night.

Weinberg Family Ventures, LLC and Green Stem, LLC received the preliminary city approval.  The businesses will have to get approval from the state to be operational.

If approved by the state for licensure, the total number of medical marijuana provisioning centers inside the city would be four.

For some residents, that raised concern. Prior to council member’ votes, three residents spoke up and cited issues, including what the long-term effects of the industry would be on the community.

Cass County Prosecutor Victor Fitz also attended the meeting to speak out against marijuana. He asked for city council members to consider talking with law enforcement to get more perspective on the issue.

Council members Georgia Boggs and Daniel VandenHeede voted in opposition to the issue Monday night.

VandenHeede has at past council meetings brought up concerns with the city moving too quickly on the number of businesses approved.

VandenHeede said his opposition had nothing to do with the companies, which he described as “solid.” Instead, he said he was keeping a consistent opinion on encouraging the city to slow down.

“We have not had anything open up yet,” VandenHeede said. “I don’t want to get in over our heads before we know how this process works. We have several people come forward tonight with concerns, and I share these concerns.”

VandenHeede also questioned how approval could be granted when neither business has a location for operations identified.

City administrator Ric Huff said a location would be required for official licensure.

“Because of the number of people that were applying for this, we actually discouraged them from entering into purchasing agreements and different financial obligations when they didn’t know if they would be selected or not,” Huff said.

Huff clarified that Monday’s approval was only a provisional license and to operate, the businesses will have to get state approval.

“This is [showing] you have been selected to keep moving forward and spending money,” Huff said.

Boggs, who has expressed total opposition to marijuana in the city of Niles, shared some of her own concerns.

“Are we excluding industries from coming into our area?” Boggs said.

She questioned whether marijuana will impact employment and whether businesses will want to hire those who use marijuana.

Council member Jessica Nelson said she trusts local businesses to have standards and use their discretion to hire people.

“It feels like we are using these slippery slope type of analogies,” Nelson said. “I don’t think it means everyone in Niles is going to become a pothead because this becomes available.”

Council member John DiCostanzo said this industry could bolster the Niles economy and he wanted to give entrepreneurs a chance.

“Our companies in the city of Niles don’t do business only with the 11,000 people who live here,” DiCostanzo said. “We get a lot of commerce that comes from outside the city, so there is a big market for medical marijuana, and there will probably be a big market for recreational marijuana.”

Business owners from Green Stem and Weinberg Family Ventures said they were grateful to the city for allowing them to pursue the opportunity to open.

George Lynch, CEO of Green Stem, thanked the city for choosing his company to represent medical marijuana in Niles.

“We are looking forward to bringing a family-oriented business here and looking forward to hiring some local people and bringing more commerce, more revenue to the city,” Lynch said.

Monday’s vote also granted Medi-Cann/Verano an alternate for a provisioning center approval, should either of the approved businesses not follow through. A provisional medical marijuana license for a Class C grow facility to HDS Investments was also approved with the vote.

DiCostanzo said he wants to hear from constituents and asked those opposed to the industry to speak up and have their voices heard.

“The few voices we heard today are the first, and we are not going to ignore you,” DiCostanzo said. “You have to keep in mind, what the state voted on in November allows everybody to possess marijuana in their homes and grow marijuana in their homes. We are only regulating the commercial establishments.”