COMPASSION CLUBS DEBATE WHETHER HOLLAND SHOULD APPROVE MORATORIUM ON
MEDICAL MARIJUANA

HOLLAND -- Advocates for medical marijuana spoke on a proposed
six-month moratorium on dispensaries.

Amy Gasaway, a member of the West Michigan Compassion Club, said she
doesn't mind the delay.

"We are not asking to have dispensaries in every city," she said. "All
we're asking is to be left alone."

But James Egler, of the Holland Compassion Club, said the delay is
unnecessary.

"By denying the dispensaries, you're encouraging the black market," he
said.

City planners say they're concerned that multiple caregivers could
join forces to propose large-scale dispensaries.

The City Council approved a first reading of the moratorium to allow
for more study, a move Mayor Kurt Dykstra called "striking an
appropriate balance." A final vote is expected next month.