Ferndale Approves 2Nd Medical Marijuana Site As Operators Bet On Change In State Law

[bobandtorey]

Ferndale is about to get its second medical marijuana facility and more such centers have applied to open in the city.

 

 

Police Chief Timothy Collins said the reason for the interest is that the owners are betting that the state Legislature will eventually pass a law that failed last year which will loosen sales of medical marijuana and allow for dispensaries.

 

 

“Currently these facilities that have been approved basically only provide safe havens for caregivers to transfer medical marijuana to their registered patients,” he said.

 

 

There are no marijuana growing operations involved in any of the facilities Ferndale has approved at this point.

 

 

The City Council this week approved a plan for a group called Hospital Retail Solutions to open in a long-vacant building at 2625 Hilton.

 

 

Dennis Zoma, owner of Ferndale Collision, is head of the medical marijuana company and plans to open an 8,000-square-foot business. The facility is to have up to four registered caregivers who will use the location to transfer medical marijuana to up to five patients each.

 

 

Zoma appeared before the City Council with his attorney, Thomas Levine, on Monday.

 

 

“We will be strictly in the bounds of the law,” Levine said. The facility will provide “a safe meeting place for caregivers to supply only their designated patients. The idea is this is a secure, safe and clean place and provides privacy.”

 

 

The property has been vacant for several years and Hospital Retail Solutions is using under a third of the total space in the building. Hours are expected to be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Besides meeting with patients, caregivers will conduct educational programs in a large meeting room.

 

 

Jim Manna brokered the lease for the property and told the city Planning Commission last month that Zoma owns several successful businesses and signed a five-year lease.

 

 

No marijuana will be stored on site.

 

 

The plan is similar to the one presented and approved in July 2014 for a group called Meridian Wellness to open a caregiver/patient facility in a former party store at 1915 E. Nine Mile Road. Meridian Wellness has not yet opened, but is expected to soon. Derek Delacourt, Ferndale’s community economic development director, said Meridian is finishing up interior work on its building.

 

 

Though the Planning Commission approved Zoma’s proposed facility, the commission rejected two others last month for lack of sufficient information and the owners are expected to return.

 

 

Collins said the state Legislature came close to passing a law last year that would have allowed for licensing medical marijuana dispensaries and eased current restrictions that caregivers can only sell to their own limited number of patients. The proposed law passed in the state House, but failed when the state Senate failed to take it up by the close of the year’s business in December.

 

 

After the state House passed the proposed change, Ferndale saw a spike in interest from medical marijuana operators, Delacourt said.

 

 

“If legislation passes again we anticipate the same interest in the community going forward,” he said.

 

 

Manna predicted the Legislature will eventually pass a law easing the requirement for dispensing medical marijuana, opening the doors for larger facilities and more sales.

 

 

“That is the goal eventually,” he said.

 

 

As it stands, Collins said the owners of the currently approved facilities aren’t in a position to make much money simply renting space to a small number of caregivers.

 

 

“I think a lot of these folks were anticipating the (proposed) medical marijuana law changes were going to pass,” he said. “Under the proposed legislation, there would be provisioning centers and caregivers wouldn’t be limited to five patients.”

 

 

If that change happens, Delacourt said the currently approved facilities would have to go through another approval process with the city.

 

http://www.macombdaily.com/general-news/20150128/ferndale-approves-2nd-medical-marijuana-site-as-operators-bet-on-change-in-state-law

[imiubu]

 

 

Dennis Zoma, owner of Ferndale Collision, is head of the medical marijuana company and plans to open an 8,000-square-foot business. The facility is to have up to four registered caregivers who will use the location to transfer medical marijuana to up to five patients each.

 

 

“We will be strictly in the bounds of the law,” Levine said. The facility will provide “a safe meeting place for caregivers to supply only their designated patients. The idea is this is a secure, safe and clean place and provides privacy.”

 

Manna predicted the Legislature will eventually pass a law easing the requirement for dispensing medical marijuana, opening the doors for larger facilities and more sales.

 

“That is the goal eventually,” he said.

 

 

 

 

 

So, this is to be a farmers market?

Up to 5 patients or, their (up to) 5 patients only is a huge difference.

 

I call bull pucky, their end game (goal) is the

[phaquetoo]

They say their will be 5 c.g's only delivering to their registered pts, but they dont say the same 5 c.g's will always be working there!

 

so I would imagine there are lockers for c.g's who are not working to be able to put their meds in so a dif c.g can get to it and supply it to their own pts,

 

there has to be more to it or it would not be profitable at all, alot of c.g's dont mind giving some freebies to their regular pts, but that would be rather hard to do if they are renting a store front!

 

Im gonna only say this much, I totaly have nothing against despenses as long as it dont change pt and c.g grows!

 

happy happy   It is not for me to judge, if pt's want despenses they should have despenses!

 

Peace

[imiubu]

Nope phaq...

 

The article also says no mmj will be grown: "There are no marijuana growing operations involved in any of the facilities Ferndale has approved at this point."

 

Or stored on site: "No marijuana will be stored on site."

[phaquetoo]

People can only have despenses if they have customers, so as long as pt's have to or feel the need for despenses they should be legal, imo I dont think it will take to long for people to be complaining about despense prices, and I mean on both sides of the law meaning pts tired of paying high prices and c.g tired of only getting low prices for the mm from despenses,

 

There is some room to work as far as c.g's with goods to get them to despenses, but either way a despense is going too drive prices down for growers, and that would benifit pt's who choose a c.g, a pt can still go check out the despenses, and they will soon see the product they get from the despense under the same name they get from their c.g has no comparrison in quality or price!

 

Peace

[phaquetoo]

Nope phaq...

 

The article also says no mmj will be grown: "There are no marijuana growing operations involved in any of the facilities Ferndale has approved at this point."

 

Or stored on site: "No marijuana will be stored on site."

If im one of the c.g's who gets to sell my meds, I will be happy to go drop off my meds and pick them up at closing time if there is any left, sorry about the misunderstanding, they dont need to store it there over nite, just during biz hrs.

 

Peace

[bobandtorey]

I have said it many times growing cannabis is a lot different then just using cannabis by the Laws we have in Michigan i also agree that there is more going on with this story that has not been printed 

[phaquetoo]

I have said it many times growing cannabis is a lot different then just using cannabis by the Laws we have in Michigan i also agree that there is more going on with this story that has not been printed 

5 people and only 25 of their own pts will not run a biz, those 25 pts would have to purchase a decent amount every day to make the biz worth running!

 

100 c.g's = 500 pt's, if all c.gs had access to all meds available which they must than maybe it would be a profitable business!

and to stay within the city rules they would have to make sure there is no product in the store when they are not open, now imagine 50 to 100 c.gs dropping off and picking up there meds every day, and putting their time behind the counter at only 5 at a time, lmao it just isnt happening,  If ferndale and oakland county sheriff's totaly remain blind on this it may work, but im betting against it untill they are totaly legal and have some place to put there cash and pay taxes!

 

maybe im over looking something that could make this alot easier, but if I can only supply my 5 pts and not be able to grow their, why would I bother?

 

 

Peace

[imiubu]

How about on rotation with your own meds.

cg/ pt gets a booth for x amount of time or til meds run out.

humm, sounds familiar.

[imiubu]

Also, this seems like more space than needed for what they are currently proposing.

Me thinks mayhaps they do intend to grow in this facility... eventually?

 

idk honestly how big an "8,000-square-foot business" is but it does seem much larger

in my mind than what is needed to be an educational/ safe transfer space.

 

 

 

edit; can't spell today.

Edited January 29, 2015 by imiubu

[trichcycler]

hold the horsies. these guys are just landlords, collecting a booth rental. the cg's are the ones making money and selling herb to card holders. when its raided by the feds, maybe only the cg's will be in trouble, and not the landlord? I read the Act again and it definitely doesn't say we can sell to more than the five with our cards.  If a cg is doing that, he is operating outside of the law(?), and the feds get to come in, if they aren't too busy.

[trichcycler]

rings of the Flint biz.

[bobandtorey]

When is the last time we have heard of the Fed's coming down on anyone i think that War has been won already imho

[GregS]

Hard to say what is going on. How is it possible to operate with 25 customers? I hope they have it figured out.

Edited January 30, 2015 by GregS

[GregS]

hold the horsies. these guys are just landlords, collecting a booth rental. the cg's are the ones making money and selling herb to card holders. when its raided by the feds, maybe only the cg's will be in trouble, and not the landlord? I read the Act again and it definitely doesn't say we can sell to more than the five with our cards.  If a cg is doing that, he is operating outside of the law(?), and the feds get to come in, if they aren't too busy.

To begin with, gm, the feds still have not stepped up to enforce any other farm market in the state since the law was passed. Given your statement, how do you square that?

 

And by all means, please stay with sec. 4 limitations if you wish. I'll cheer for you.

[Wild Bill]

Hard to say what is going on. How is it possible to operate with 25 customers? I hope they have it figured out.

I wonder how many of those only want two grams a week?

[Natesilver]

I read the Act again and it definitely doesn't say we can sell to more than the five with our cards. If a cg is doing that, he is operating outside of the law(?), and the feds get to come in, if they aren't too busy.

Jeez not this bunny muffin again Grassmatch? It's sounds like either

1. You are being dishonest when you say you've read the act, and are just saying you have. We've covered sec 8 with you how many times now?

OR

2. You are somehow incentivized to mislead people into believing sec 8 protections do not exist, and the only protection afforded by the law is sec 4. Why would that be?

[bobandtorey]

I say Sec 8 is alive and well in most County's and Towns but not in Oakland County but it will cost $$$ to win in any County 

[GregS]

I say Sec 8 is alive and well in most County's and Towns but not in Oakland County but it will cost $$$ to win in any County 

Poor Bob. We feel so sad for you.

[Kingdiamond]

Tell me why anybody would pay another person to provide medicine to their patients ?

 

How much does this plan drive up the cost of each of these caregivers wares ?

[YesMichigan]

Tell me why anybody would pay another person to provide medicine to their patients ?

 

How much does this plan drive up the cost of each of these caregivers wares ?

 

Timing and coordination is a problem for some c.g.s I know. Wanting to keep the activity or traffic away and instead conduct it in a "business" district is an advantage.

 

Sounds like a "dead drop" service to me.

 

Seeing it as a "matter of convenience" for the c.g. and the patient there is always a sharing of costs. If a c.g. lives way out this would give access to patients who are in the city. Gas and time factored in would make real costs more equitable.

Edited January 30, 2015 by YesMichigan

[Kingdiamond]

But how will the owner of the building recoup his rental costs booth rentals will no doubt drive up the cost of the caregivers medicine this plan fails before it begins in my eyes.

[YesMichigan]

But how will the owner of the building recoup his rental costs booth rentals will no doubt drive up the cost of the caregivers medicine this plan fails before it begins in my eyes.

 

Indeed. The cost of the convenience is what the market will determine. You may very well be correct. Wouldn't be the first bad idea. Fun to ponder if nothing else.