Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jan 2012
Source: Charlevoix Courier  (MI)
Contact:  2012 Charlevoix Courier
Website: http://www.petoskeynews.com/charlevoix/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5290
Author: Steve Zucker

CHARLEVOIX CITY COUNCIL DELAYS DECISION ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

The Charlevoix City Council on Monday decided to postpone a decision 
on enacting an amendment to the city's zoning ordinance that would 
regulate medical marijuana production in the city.

For many months city officials have been working on the ordinance, 
which, in the form it was presented at Monday's regular semi-monthly 
meeting, would limit the properties where people authorized as 
caregivers under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act may grow and 
provide marijuana to their certified patients.

The ordinance would restrict caregiver grow operations to only 
residential areas and outside of buffer zones around parks, beaches, 
schools, churches, day care facilities and other medical marijuana 
caregiver operation locations.

The ordinance would have no effect on the rights of certified medical 
marijuana patients to grow their own plants in their homes.

During a public hearing near the beginning of Monday's meeting 
several people, many of them who identified themselves as certified 
medical marijuana patients, spoke out against the proposed ordinance 
- - many saying it is too restrictive.

The council, at least to some degree, appeared to agree, with several 
members expressing interest in perhaps shrinking some of the buffer zones.

Of particular interest was discussion about what, if any buffer zones 
there should be between care provider locations and around day care 
facilities. Currently the draft ordinance proposes 500 feet for both.

The council voted unanimously (with council member Dennis Kusina 
absent) to postpone its decision on the matter and directed city 
planning director Mike Spencer to do some further research and come 
back to the council at its next regular meeting on Feb. 6 with 
options for the council to consider. The plan is to re-introduce the 
revised ordinance at the Feb. 6 meeting and then having another 
public hearing on it either on Feb. 20 or March 5.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom