Council seeks additional information on possible medical marijuana ordinance
By Pat Evans (Last updated: 07/28/10 11:46pm)The East Lansing City Council is seeking additional input from the city police department regarding a possible medicinal marijuana ordinance following a work session Tuesday at which councilmembers expressed slightly differing views of how the ordinance might be created.
Loomis
The discussion was introduced by Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon because the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act, or MMMA, which legalized the possession of marijuana for medicinal purposes, does not define how to deal with dispensaries. Among the possibilities discussed Tuesday were allowing only home occupancy dispensaries, only storefront dispensaries or banning dispensaries entirely.
Mayor Vic Loomis requested more information on how the East Lansing Police Department feels regarding medicinal marijuana dispensaries in the city, because it will be responsible for enforcing the laws.
“It seems regardless with whatever way we go, they’re going to be challenged,” Loomis said. “(ELPD’s) opinion is going to weigh heavily on whatever decision I make. They’re the people that have to make whatever we do work.”
East Lansing police Chief Tom Wibert said Monday he is in favor of the city clarifying the law.
City staff came up with a sample ordinance to allow dispensaries as home occupancies in East Lansing. The purpose of the sample ordinance was to provide possible scenarios for the city to work with, should one be passed at a later date.
“This might have an undesirable affect of moving these business into residential neighborhoods,” Yeadon said. “But it is meant to make it a rather innocuous setting.”
Councilmembers were hesitant to jump on the home occupancy plan, or dispensaries at all, but Yeadon said voters chose to allow medicinal marijuana with the passing of the MMMA in 2008.
“If we don’t allow it and we prosecute people for doing what they’re doing, we are in violation of state law,” he said.
The discussion was brought to council because there is belief the MMMA is ripe for abuse, Yeadon said.
Restrictions on the home occupancy dispensaries in East Lansing would include a caregiver — a person authorized to grow and sell marijuana to registered medicinal marijuana patients — living more than 1,000 feet away from a school and have no more than two patients in the home at any given time.
Despite the suggested restrictions on the home occupancies to make observing the dispensaries easier for police, the council requested a report by the police department.
Most of the council ended the discussion undecided, but open minded. Councilmember Nathan Triplett said he would prefer a special use permit and the use of a storefront.
“Dispersing it into the neighborhoods, where it’s all difficult to monitor, seems to be problematic for me,” Triplett said. “A public space, the police can check on it all the time. I have a strong opinion the more we can put this in a place that can be easily monitored, the better.”
Originally Published: 07/28/10 11:37pm
bobby
07/29/10 8:14amI think the ELPD and MSU Police are going to want dispensaries banned. Why would they want to deal with that? Besides, they love busting pot smokers. Laws allowing people to sell, buy, and smoke pot right in front of them will be a hard pill to swallow. Who cares what the cops think about it? Not me.
Juan_D
07/29/10 10:35pmJust what we need – more dopers in the city. This medical weed stuff is a bunch of BS.
Patrick Bateman
07/29/10 11:42pmJuan D: why should pot be illegal but alcohol remain legal?
juan_d
07/30/10 12:41amThe problem with pot, to my mind, is the sort of people who advocate strongly for its use. If and when respectable, mature, successful people start campaigning for its use, that might be worth discussing. Until then, it seems that pot is rightly known by the company it keeps.
bobby
07/30/10 2:52amhaha Juan is ignorant.
Lexi
07/30/10 8:51amIf they just legalized marijuana, they could collect taxes on it and save the hassle of arresting smokers. The old folks will tell you it’s a ‘gateway drug’. I don’t buy that. I don’t smoke it but I know people who do and they don’t do any other drugs. Alcohol is a drug too.
pat
07/30/10 1:42pmHey Juan, great job with the stereotypes! Don’t you have some weeds to be hoeing or beans to pick? Sorry, I don’t know you, but most of the people I have ever known with the name Juan are migrant laborers. How does it feel?
george
07/31/10 2:40pmJuan: you need to watch these vids
youtube.com/watch?v=XLpJMacS8c8&feature=related (cerebral palsy patient… three tokes, and she can finally live a normal life)
But if you really want to know what a pot smoker looks like, then check this video out. smart, succesful, articulate, AND smokes 300 joints a month FOR 25 YEARS!!! and its supplied to him by the FEDERAL GOVT! I love Irv, he is the number spokesman we have.
youtube.com/watch?v=B1NggzEkltM&playnext=1&videos=cf3h25dvwss
DanksterDave
08/02/10 2:14pmJuanD is very ignorant and I think everyone here realizes that. I am a very successful student, intern, resident assistant, and citizen. and guess what… I smoke everyday. There’s nothing wrong with that. Our city could save a lot of money by giving up this stupid, pointless war against “dopers”.
Angie Walker
08/02/10 2:40pmDanksterDave please tell me why you smoke every day? Don’t you think it has altered your mind some?
J Freedom
08/03/10 3:06pmLegalizing marijuana is way overdue. The tyranny and crimes committed by the police far outweigh any harm from marijuana. As an attorney I have seen this too many times. Legalize, tax, and smoke it up for Peace and Freedom. BTW I use medical marijuana and always have, and always will regardless of the tyrants trying to control me otherwise. Its called freedom and this is the USA. If you don’t like it, leave it and take all the freedom haters with you.
PD
08/05/10 12:43pmI do not advocate or support the use of drugs for my own reasons, but the government should not regulate it nor should they delegate the power to do so to anyone. Let people have the liberty. But our government lives on regulations and politicians like the power and $$ that comes from it, so it is not going to stop unless we seriously rethink how the government is run and do not let the courts just rubber stamp unconstitutional government actions.