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EDWARDSBURG — Two marijuana businesses are blazing forward in the village of Edwardsburg.

Monday, the Edwardsburg Village Council voted to approve two marijuana businesses to operate within village limits on M-62 or US-12 east of M-62. According to the ordinance that was passed in March allowing for recreational and medical marijuana facilities to operate in Edwardsburg, businesses are allowed to hold multiple licenses, including provisioning, growing, micro-business, transporting, processing, safety compliance and retailer. However, only provisioning, or dispensary, businesses applied.

The two dispensaries approved Monday were NoBo, a Colorado-based company with a facility in nearby Benton Harbor, and Alvarez Cultivation, which had a marijuana license approved in Quincy, Michigan in August 2019 and has a grow operation in Jackson County.

When making the motion to approve the two licenses Monday, President Pro-Tem Dennis Peak said he believed the two businesses were the right fit for Edwardsburg. The businesses’ applications were chosen via a point system defined in the village ordinance. Both are pre-approved by the state for both medical and recreational marijuana licenses.

“They have a strong record of safety,” he said.

“We put some time into this to make sure we had to the right fit,” added Village Council President Scott Mackling. “We had quite a few people involved in this, and I feel the right decision was made on this.”

The resolution passed six to one, with Trustee Terry Bidwell voting in opposition.

Following Monday’s meeting, Mackling said the timeline for when residents may see NoBo and Alvarez Cultivation open and operational is up to the businesses.

“It is up to approved businesses how fast they can get everything up and running,” Mackling said.

Though he acknowledged that marijuana businesses are new for the village and there will be a learning curve involved, Mackling said he believes the new companies will benefit Edwardsburg by filling vacant buildings and providing a new industry to stimulate the economy. He added that he hopes other Edwardsburg businesses, such as restaurants and gas stations, will also see increased traffic due to the dispensaries’ presence.

“I think this is going to be good in the end,” he said. “I think the companies we chose are going to be a good fit.”