MARIJUANA WAREHOUSE PLANS IN ROYAL OAK IN AIR

Royal Oak to Hold Hearing on Aug. 9

Whether an empty 23,000-square-foot warehouse in Royal Oak could
become one of the state's largest medical-marijuana facilities won't
be answered just yet.

The City Commission voted Monday night to set an Aug. 9 hearing to
decide whether to make an exemption on its moratorium on such facilities.

Warehouse owner James Canner, listed on Web sites as executive vice
president of a robotics firm, wants to lease the building for growing
marijuana.

Canner, who was at the meeting, said he wanted to lease the building
to a tenant who would divide the space into 20-25 locked rooms and
sublet each one to a licensed individual who can provide medical
marijuana to up to five patients, under state law.

Commissioner Chuck Semchena said he was concerned about the
plan.

"This facility could produce far more marijuana than would be legally
distributed to patients," Semchena said. "My fear is this huge surplus
will end up in the hands of children."

Commissioners said a key aspect of Canner's proposal would be whether
activity in his building would be legal. State law is unclear on
whether multiple growers, also called caregivers, can operate in a
shared space, Michigan Department of Community Health officials have
said.

In a June 9 memo, Canner said he needed a tenant to avoid foreclosure
on the building and that no marijuana sales would take place -- only
the growing of marijuana by state-approved individuals