Moratorium On Medical Marijuana To End In Feb.

[Croppled1]

MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA TO END IN FEB.

 

By Lauren Gibbons

 

The East Lansing City Council is scheduled to discuss recommendations from the East Lansing Planning Commission and city staff on proposed medical marijuana ordinances in its work session tonight.

 

Three ordinances regarding the distribution of medical marijuana are currently facing the council's consideration. The items are up for discussion at the council's 7 p.m. work session at City Hall, 410 Abbot Road.

 

The council has been discussing the issue of medical marijuana ordinances since last summer. Council members were presented with three drafted ordinances, but deferred making a decision on which one - - if any - to adopt until February. The ordinances would regulate how and where licensed medical marijuana dispensaries could distribute their products.

 

At its Jan. 12 meeting, the planning commission recommended council approve the third ordinance with some amendments, allowing medical marijuana dispensaries, in an 8-1 vote.

 

The commission's suggested amendments to the ordinance included expanding allowable dispensary areas into commercial zones, which would require a 500-foot buffer between dispensaries and installations of surveillance cameras on the premises.

 

In its original form, the recommended ordinance allowed for store-front dispensaries only. The city staff recommendation is similar to the planning commission's suggestions, but with a narrower scope of districts where the dispensaries would be allowed, said Darcy Schmitt, East Lansing's planning and zoning administrator.

 

Schmitt said city staff also recommend the dispensary setting for medical marijuana distribution, but believe the activity should take place in buildings similar to doctors' offices as opposed to downtown storefronts. She said this would help protect the well-being of patients and other residents and prevent potential negative impact on the community.

 

"It's important to protect the rights of those that need the medical marijuana, but also to protect the safety of residents," Schmitt said. "It's a very difficult issue."

 

Councilmember Nathan Triplett said it was council's responsibility to decide how to regulate the facilities within the community, but the regulations would not detract from citizen's rights to compassionate care.

 

He said the decision-making process on establishing an official ordinance has been lengthy but thinks council is becoming more informed on the issue with the continued public discourse. "With each successive meeting, we've gotten closer to making a decision," Triplett said.

 

Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon said the state law allowing medical marijuana doesn't cover the business aspect of distributing marijuana specifically, but said it would be unusual for anyone to think marijuana dispensaries would not fall under similar regulations as other businesses in the city.

 

"Local laws have to deal with this business like they would deal with any other business," Yeadon said. "This is just putting that business in the proper zone where it's the best fit for the city and for the people needing the services."

 

A public hearing on the topic is scheduled to be held at council's Feb. 15 meeting.

 

Please visit for more information and to comment :

 

http://www.statenews...a_to_end_in_feb.

[pic book]

Same situation as in Warren, moratorium ending just before February does.

[StonedPlanet]

It is not their place to make such ordinances. I hope every city that does this in Michigan gets sued until their pockets are empty. Same goes for these cities and counties busting patients and caregivers.. I hope they get sued to bad they can't afford to pay their detectives, investigators, or officers.

 

It would suck to live in the city that gets sued because the tax payers take the real hit.. But perhaps these tax payers need to be voicing their oppositions in the first place.

 

The cities AND/OR counties are acting like the state is forcing them to make regulations..

 

It is not their job, and they should not make it their job. We are regulated by the MDCH when we register with the state. Why should we be regulated 2, 3, or even 4 times? I think it is more that the cities want to dip their hands in the pockets of patients. GREED!