Pubdate: Thu, 02 Aug 2012
Source: Jackson Citizen Patriot (MI)
Copyright: 2012 Jackson Citizen Patriot
Contact: http://www.mlive.com/mailforms/jacitpat/letters/index.ssf
Website: http://www.mlive.com/jackson/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1190
Author: Lisa Satayut

LEONI LOOKING TO OTHER CITIES, TOWNSHIPS BEFORE CREATING ORDINANCE 
REGULATING MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES

LEONI TWP., MI - The temporary ban on any new medical marijuana
businesses setting up shop in Leoni Township expires in nine months.

The initial plan was to adopt a zoning ordinance that would regulate
where new businesses could be located. Some ideas were either a light
or heavy industrial zone.

Leoni Township Planning Commission members have decided to hold off on
adopting an ordinance, at least for now.

Instead, they are looking at what is happening in other municipalities
that adopted a moratorium before Leoni did to see if any zoning
ordinances were challenged in court.

"Let someone else fight the battle first," Planning Commission
Chairman Doug Sink said.

"All that's left to do is wait," he said.

Earlier this week, the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that an
ordinance banning the use of medical marijuana in the city of Wyoming
was illegal.

Sink said the ruling does not give the township any direction. Leoni
Township does not want to ban medical marijuana businesses entirely;
township officials are instead looking to regulate the locations of
any new ones.

Looking back on the issue, both the township supervisor and planning
commission members have said they wished the township would have
adopted a moratorium from the start.

"My concern is not only location but concentration. In my opinion, we
should have had a moratorium in the first place," Planning Commission
member Paul Overeiner said.

There are four medical marijuana businesses in the downtown area.
Competition among the businesses has grown. The four in the downtown
area are grandfathered into the ordinance and would be able to remain
where they are.

The moratorium can be extended, and planning commission members have
said an extension is not out of the question.

The city of Flint extended its ban on new medical marijuana businesses
for another six months.

Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved the law in 2008.
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