By Stan Maddux
BCR Correspondent
A step has been taken to possibly shut down a marijuana dispensary in New Buffalo Township for alleged violations that include staying open past the 9 p.m. deadline and serving a minor.
The New Buffalo Township Board on Monday considered whether to revoke the special land use permits held by Trap Stars, The Plug, Refine and Mint Cannabis all located along U.S. 12 east of the city limits.
The township board voted unanimously to formally establish findings of fact that support revoking the special land use permit held by Trap Stars and decide whether to revoke their permit at its next meeting on July 20 at 5 p.m.
The board decided not to take action on the other dispensaries.
Township Supervisor Michelle Heit said the violations cited against Trap Stars beginning soon after the store opened late in 2024 were more numerous and over time represented a “pattern of non-compliance.”
She said such non-compliant behavior is not what she wants in the township and it’s not fair to other dispensaries “following the rules.”
During a public hearing, the township board learned Trap Stars was previously fined $6,500 by state regulators for failing to secure the sales floor containing marijuana products by leaving an entry door propped open.
Trap Stars was also issued a previous fine of $9,000 for not entering all transactions and inventory into a state monitoring system as required.
Berrien County Police Lt. Thad Chartrand said his department has been sending underage people into dispensaries since January to make sure the stores are complying with selling their products only to customers at least 21 years of age as required by state law.
Chartrand said one of the underage people was able to purchase one pound of marijuana from Trap Stars, an amount that exceeds the limit of 2.5 ounces per transaction.
About two months ago, the township code enforcement department reported Trap Stars was cited for having multiple customers inside their store after the 9 p.m. state mandated closing time.
Other complaints against Trap Stars include people in line consuming marijuana even though use of the drug is prohibited at dispensaries and a customer urinating in public.
Adam Behrendt, an attorney for Trap Stars, said operators of the store were wrongly under the impression customers still in the store at 9 p.m. were allowed to complete their transactions before leaving.
He said Trap Stars is now making sure all customers are out of their store at closing.
Behrendt also said the mistake with inventory happened at a time when an employee in charge of doing it took the day off and nobody else was there who could do it.
He said changes have since been made to make sure there’s always someone there who can enter the store’s inventory into the system.
Behrendt said an information technology person was also hired to maintain the video surveillance system and keep at least 30 days of video back-up as required.
He said many of the violations were a result of oversights from the ownership being new in a highly regulated industry.
Now, the store managers constantly keep an eye on things to make sure all requirements are met.
Behrendt also said there have been anonymous complaints possibly from competitors or disgruntled employees against his clients that were determined not true after they were investigated.
“We have meetings every week to make sure everybody knows what they’re doing. “You’re talking about a multi-million dollar investment that employs over 30 people. Obviously, Trap Stars wants to do everything the right way,” he said.