The case stemmed from a lawsuit filed by former mayor and current city council member William Plemel. He argued that the August election violated state election law because the election was not held on a “regular election date” where candidates also appeared on the ballot. On Monday, Judge Mary Barglind agreed, saying the state election law clearly defines a “regular election” as one tied to candidate races. Because no candidates were on the ballot in August, the court ruled the election results could not stand. The August vote was decisive, with over 80 percent of voters supporting a citizen-initiated ordinance to cap the number of marijuana retailers in Menominee at nine. The judge said it’s likely voters will reach a similar conclusion in November, but stressed the law requires the question to be on the ballot to be valid. In the meantime, the court issued an injunction blocking the city from issuing over nine marijuana retail licenses until after the November election. The ruling preserves the status quo, preventing additional licenses from being granted and then potentially revoked if voters affirm the cap. Menominee has become a regional hub for marijuana businesses, with one dispensary for every 750 residents, a rate ten times higher than Detroit. The November 4^th election will ultimately decide whether that number is capped permanently at nine.