NILES — Clouds gathered Monday at Niles Industrial Park, darkening the sky and creating contrast with the warm lights from the office of The ReLeaf Center at 1840 Terminal Road.

Inside, fingers pattered down on the keyboard like the rain outside drizzled down on the pavement.

Staff members of the medical marijuana provisioning and grow center were at work preparing for the business’ opening this year.

If all goes well, The ReLeaf Center could be the first medical marijuana establishment open in Niles city limits, almost two years after Niles City Council voted to allow regulated medical marijuana businesses in the city and state voters legalized its consumption in 2008.

Why the long wait? According to Niles city staff, law creation, adjusting laws to fit needs and voting on license and permit approvals, according to Niles city staff.

Ric Huff, city administrator, said the time taken was not a surprise to law implementors, but it was to marijuana supporters and businesses alike.

He expects Niles’ new recreational marijuana business ordinances, approved Oct. 7, to lead to months of permit and license approval for hopeful recreational marijuana businesses. Such businesses become legal Oct. 27.

Huff said he has already fielded numerous calls from prospective recreational marijuana entrepreneurs hoping to open in Niles soon who do not realize the regulatory steps they need to take.

“They have no idea what the rules really are,” he said. “They have to have ‘x’ amount of capital cash and all these hoops they have to jump through to actually be prepared to open a business. That’s pretty problematic.”

Residents had expectations of fast marijuana business openings, recreational and medical, too. While recreational marijuana consumption is now legal for any adult 21 and older, developing rules for marijuana businesses and then opening those businesses with proper licensure and permits take time.

The slow approach to marijuana business openings allows the city to spend more time making better decisions, Huff said, which is important given the lack of direction by the state government.

“As we learn more about this process, it’ll let us tailor to all those rules and ordinances that best fit in Niles and the state of Michigan,” said Larry Lamb, Niles fire chief.

Last month, Lamb and other city employees inspected The ReLeaf Center and approved it for opening. It abided by city ordinance and state medical marijuana business laws and fire safety codes.

It was the first inspection of a marijuana establishment by the city, and Lamb said it went well.

He said it was not unlike other business inspections. Each type of business has to abide by general requirements and requirements specific to the business type.

“I’m not going to lose sleep at night over a 1,500-plant greenhouse,” Lamb said. “There are a lot of other more challenging things that cause me concern.”

Like all inspections, safety is paramount, he said. What sets marijuana businesses apart from other business types is their polarization and controversy.

“The challenge is that everybody looking at this new commercial enterprise has a different perception, and until we get it up and running, nobody’s going to really need to know the impact it has on the day-to-day world here in Niles,” Lamb said. “It’s a moving target.”

Both Huff and Lamb said that the medical and recreational ordinances can be amended, meaning that regulatory rules and enforcement could change as the city and state come across new information and learn the general triumphs and tribulations of marijuana facilities from hands-on experiences.

Huff said the city does benefit from having already allowed medical marijuana facilities to seek approval to operate within city limits, such as The ReLeaf Center. The Niles Planning Commission, city council and city staff are already familiar with the medical marijuana ordinances, which the recreational ordinances largely follow, and each has approved businesses for provisional state license and special land use permits.

“The state’s already said that they’re going to give preference to medical marijuana facilities for their recreational licenses, and I expect we’re going to do the same thing,” Huff said.

A key to success in marijuana business’ entry into Niles is finding a balance, Lamb said — a balance between classical community character and a new industry, and a balance between enacting big ideas and incremental changes.

For now, however, Lamb, Huff and others will continue to abide by the ordinances passed by the council, offering tweaks along the way.