CADILLAC -- The days of seeing marijuana dispensaries in Haring Township may be going up in smoke. Haring Township board members approved a decision for Zirnhelt, Bowron and Wiggins, P.L.C. to prepare a marijuana moratorium for the township at a special meeting Monday at the township hall. Earlier this month, the township board agreed to work with township attorney Corey Wiggins in the drafting of an updated version of its 2011 marijuana moratorium. In 2011, the township voted to impose a moratorium on the use of any land and the issuance of any permits, licenses and approvals related to the medical marijuana business within the township. The township adopted the ordinance although the planning commission recommended the "no action" alternative with regard to regulation related to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act. The planning commission noted numerous, diverse and possibly conflicting legal interpretations of the act and pending lawsuits regarding aspects of the act as a basis for its recommendation. [continues 170 words]
CADILLAC -- Protesters who gathered at the Wexford County Courthouse expressed different reasons for being there but had one thing in common: support for medical marijuana. Voters passed a law allowing limited use of medical marijuana in 2008. It requires individuals to receive a doctor's certification and have a card identifying themselves as patients. Approximately a dozen activists visited the courthouse Thursday, Aug. 14 carrying signs with messages such as "No victim, no crime" and "My rights, my choice" as they congregated in the courthouse parking lot and circled the building on the sidewalk. [continues 245 words]
WYOMING, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan Supreme Court has heard arguments about a Grand Rapid suburb's efforts to ban medical marijuana, even though it's legal under state law. The court held a hearing Thursday on a challenge to the law that the city of Wyoming adopted in 2010 ordinance. The law bars activities that conflict with federal law. Those activities would include growing or possessing marijuana. Wyoming is appealing a decision that struck down the ordinance. The American Civil Liberties Union represents Wyoming resident John Ter Beek, who's registered to use medical marijuana. ACLU lawyer Daniel Korobkin says the case has "far-reaching implications" for Michigan and patients who use marijuana. An association of Michigan prosecutors is supporting the city. A handful of other communities have similar laws. [end]
CADILLAC - A prosecuting attorney is reconsidering his options after drug charges were dropped against the former operator of a Haring Township medical marijuana dispensary. In the same investigation, two former dispensary employees have been sentenced after taking plea deals. Charges of aiding and abetting delivery and manufacture of marijuana and a charge of conducting a criminal enterprise were dismissed by Judge William Fagerman against Christopher Frank Gee, 35, of Tustin, owner of the Twinn Bridges Compassion Club. Missaukee County Prosecuting Attorney William Donnelly Jr. served as special prosecutor because one of Gee's employees had previously been represented by attorney Anthony Badovinac prior to his taking office as Wexford County prosecuting attorney this year. [continues 654 words]
CADILLAC - Since the medical marijuana law was passed in Michigan in 2008, patients and municipalities have been buzzing with questions. Michigan voters approved a medical marijuana ballot proposal meant to protect qualifying patients with specific debilitating medical conditions and certain caregivers from arrest, prosecution and penalty for the medical use of a limited amount of marijuana. It does not, however, address compassion clubs or dispensaries. There also are multiple court proceedings and appeals regarding the law. With so many questions, most municipalities have passed moratoriums on medical marijuana and until such time that the law is clearly understood or other adjustments are made that will be the case. The city of Cadillac is one of those municipalities that has taken that route. [continues 184 words]
CADILLAC - Three individuals have been charged as codefendants in 84th District Court in Wexford County in connection with the operation of the now-closed Twinn Bridges Compassion Club. Christopher Frank Gee, 35, of Tustin, Kreig William Woodbury, 44, of Evart, and Bradly Kreikaard each have been charged as codefendants in connection with the operation of the business, which opened in November 2010. The club has since closed voluntarily. Gee told the Cadillac News prior to the arrests that the storefront offered medical marijuana, grown by himself, in a variety of forms. [continues 196 words]
CADILLAC -- Ken Lee is planning on being at Monday's Cadillac City Council meeting. Lee is a patient, caregiver and proponent of medical marijuana, and he is very interested in the outcome of one discussion the council is scheduled to have. That discussion involves whether or not the city will extend its current moratorium on medical marijuana for another 12 months. "It makes it harder for people to get their medicine," Lee said. "I thought the city was moving a little faster than that." [continues 300 words]
CADILLAC -- A public hearing on businesses related to the state's medical marijuana law was an eye-opening experience for members of the Wexford County Planning and Zoning Commission. The Commission called a meeting to receive public input on the most appropriate location for operations related to medical marijuana and whether those operations entail growers or dispensaries. Less than a dozen people attended the meeting to provide input on the issue. Planning and Zoning Commission Chairman Paul Osborne occasionally had to remind individuals the matter up for debate was where medical marijuana activity should be located, not the benefits or dangers of using the drug. [continues 411 words]
CADILLAC - Half the seniors in Cadillac High School said they drank alcohol in the last month. Of those Cadillac seniors who completed the survey, 32 percent admitted to using marijuana. Danette Crozier wasn't surprised by the results, but she hopes members of the community are. Prior to becoming a counselor and Safe and Drug Free Schools coordinator for Cadillac Area Public Schools, Crozier used to work at a prevention and treatment center. She has a degree in substance abuse prevention/intervention and treatment. That's why when the results of a recent drug survey came out showing a majority of CAPS junior high and high school students had at least tried alcohol and drugs, she wasn't surprised. [continues 1328 words]
LAKE CITY - Students, their families and staff at Lake City Upper Elementary were part of a graduation ceremony Friday. The ceremony did not mark the end of the school's fifth graders elementary career. It did, however, mark the end of this year's D.A.R.E. program. Like many graduations, it was a happy and joyous occasion especially since there was a possibility it would not be offered this year. Due to a lack of funding, after the 2004-2005 school year, the D.A.R.E. Program in Missaukee County was no longer going to be offered to students in Lake City Area Schools, McBain Rural Agricultural School, Northern Michigan Christian and Merritt Elementary School. The program is directed toward fifth-graders at each of the schools. [continues 304 words]
It's cheap, mobile, addictive and highly dangerous. It's no wonder that police in northern Michigan are seeing increased methamphetamine usage and crimes associated with drug addiction. "It's kind of an interesting thing going on right now, down in your area - Missaukee and Wexford and Osceola County - we're seeing an awful lot of meth. Over the last two years, we've seen the most of it," said 1st Lt. Chet Wilson of the Traverse Narcotics Team, which handles drug enforcement operations in the area. [continues 754 words]
CADILLAC - Just days after the revelation that drug use is rampant in Cadillac schools, local police cited five high school students for marijuana use. "It involved some students using drugs off-campus outside the school zone and then returning to school still with the drug paraphernalia," said Cadillac Director of Public Safety Jeff Hawke. The students, four boys and a girl ages 17 and 18, were witnessed passing a pipe in Kenwood Park Thursday morning. The witness called police and then followed two vehicles to Cadillac High School and informed school officials. [continues 471 words]
