Pubdate: Tue, 23 Nov 2010
Source: Presque Isle County Advance (Rogers City, MI)
Contact:  2010 Presque Isle Newspaper
Website: http://www.piadvance.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5220
Author: Angie Asam
Cited: Rogers City government http://www.rogerscity.com/government/index.htm
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Michigan+medical+marijuana
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/dispensaries

COMMISSION USES MML REVIEW OF MARIJUANA LAW

The Rogers City planning commission continues to study the medical 
marijuana law. They are working towards initiating some type of 
ordinance on the law in regards to businesses, along with the 
legality of the drug. The city council has asked the planning 
commission to look into the issue to establish an ordinance, if they 
so choose, to spell out where co-op's for medical marijuana can 
exist. The planning commission is using a local government view of 
the act prepared by Gerald Fisher, a consultant to the Michigan 
Municipal League and the Michigan Townships Association. The review 
was prepared at their request and is meant to be a resource for 
Michigan local governments in regards to the law.

Fisher is a professor of law at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in 
Auburn Hills. The paper spells out the issues of the act as well as 
the gray areas within it. The major issue with the act is that, 
although Michigan has made the cultivation, sale and use of marijuana 
legal for medical purposes to qualifying patients and registered 
caregivers, under federal law, the drug is still illegal regardless of its use.

The city of Rogers City has placed a moratorium on the establishment 
of any businesses pertaining to medical marijuana as they have been 
looking at the law and trying to decide how to come up with a zoning 
ordinance to find a place to properly zone for the types of 
businesses that could exist, find a place they would fit best in the 
city if they were to come about. After discussing the many questions 
they had with both the review and the act in general, the planning 
commission asked city manager Mark Slown to work on getting them 
copies of the ordinances that already exist in other cities in 
Michigan. Traverse City is one city that has an ordinance and an 
established business for medical marijuana. The moratorium lasts for 
another five months.

Slown is going to make an effort to try to get five or six sample 
ordinances from Michigan cities that have already passed them. Once 
he receives them he will get them out to the planning commission 
members for them to review before the topic will be discussed again 
at the January meeting of the planning commission. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake