Holland Bs ....rules Again

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Governments to develop local medical marijuana law; ‘Witch hunt,’ advocates say.

By ANDREA GOODELL

The Holland Sentinel

Posted Nov 10, 2010 @ 05:30 AM

Last update Nov 10, 2010 @ 12:33 PM

 

 

Holland, MI — Local medical marijuana laws could look a lot alike.

 

Holland Township and Holland, as well as possibly Park Township and Zeeland, plan to cooperate to develop identical medical marijuana ordinances.

 

No one knows yet what that law would look like. However, the Holland Township Planning Commission discussed requiring caregivers to obtain licenses and submit to inspections.

 

It’s a change from how the township had planned to proceed — requiring all caregivers and patients to register as home occupation businesses.

 

“After further study, it has been recommended to me by the Michigan Township Association and our attorneys that we perhaps consider approaching this from a different direction,” Planning Administrator John Mersman said.

 

Several medical marijuana advocates came out to the commission’s Tuesday meeting to protest the proposal.

 

“This is a witch hunt,” said Clark Nienhuis, a Holland Township resident and medical marijuana patient. “Why do you feel you need to put us on some sort of registry like sex offenders?”

 

Nienhuis said he has attempted various medical treatments in the three years since he was involved in a rear-end auto accident that caused traumatic brain injury.

 

Township officials say they want a local ordinance to keep track of legitimate medical marijuana

 

operations and weed out the illegal ones.

 

One of the first in the state to receive a medical marijuana card, Nienhuis waived his patient card as he told the planning commission that law enforcement already has access to the names of people who are registered with the state as medical marijuana patients and caregivers.

 

Under state law, a caregiver growing the allotted 12 plants for each of his or her allowed five patients as well as him or herself could have 72 plants. Each caregiver and patient must register with the state every year. However, that information is not publicly available.

 

The local ordinance would attempt to control “the location and providing law enforcement with minimal yet critical information,” Mersman said,

 

The law is far from finalized, but as proposed it requires licenses for any location used to grow or distribute medical marijuana or provide any other assistance to patients by caregivers.

 

Compassion clubs where patients gather to exchange information would have to be licensed if marijuana is exchanged there.

 

A license would not be required for patient’s personal residence where he or she grows marijuana for his or her own use.

 

It wouldn’t allow such facilities within 1,000 feet of a church, school, park, preschool, daycare or other caregiver growers. And growing cooperative would not be allowed.

 

“The idea is to limit the intensity and the density of the growers,” Mersman said.

 

The proposed fine for those who violate the new local law is $1,000.

 

Although township officials say the information would be exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests, the biggest concern for Amy Gasaway is confidentiality.

 

“We are not criminals; we are abiding of the law,” she said. “We do not buy or sell drugs; we use a medicine.”