Algoma Township officials heaved a sigh of relief after a panel of three judges declared patient-to-patient sales of medical marijuana illegal last week. But Supervisor Dennis Hoemke said while the ruling is helpful, it is not all that is needed to clarify this ambiguous law. The ruling was handed down Wednesday from a Michigan appellate court in Isabella County. The judges stated the 2008 voter-approved medical marihuana act does not permit people to sell pot to each other, regardless of their status as registered patients through the Department of Community Health. [continues 737 words]
Divided on an ordinance drafted and recommended by the Planning Commission, the Courtland Township Board extended its existing moratorium on medical marijuana Wednesday for another six months. The moratorium had been in place for a year a was set to expire. The board's options on Wednesday were either to approve the ordinance or to extend the moratorium. The Planning Commission had been working on the ordinance with township attorney Jim Scales and conducted a public hearing on the matter March 15. Scales noted there were no comments about the ordinance at the public hearing. [continues 595 words]
Municipalities in the Rockford Public Schools District are playing the waiting game when it comes to regulating medical marijuana. However, other Kent County communities are beginning to act. Cannon Township and Algoma Township were two of the latest government units to pass moratoriums on the issuing of permits or licenses for the sale or dispersal of medical marijuana. On Dec. 13, Cannon Township extended its existing six-month moratorium for an additional six-months, allowing it to expire in June 2011. [continues 680 words]
Plainfield Township is in "wait and see mode" when it comes to addressing planning and zoning issues presented by the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA), said Community Development Director Bill Fisher. "Communities are waiting on a statewide basis for judges to make some clarifications on the law," Fisher said. On March 15, Plainfield Township Board members passed a six-month moratorium on permits or licenses for the sale or dispersal of medical marijuana. And on Sept. 7, the board extended that moratorium for another six months until March of 2011. [continues 141 words]
