HAZEL PARK LOOKS TO AMEND ZONING FOR POT

City Wants to Accommodate Medical Marijuana Dispensories.

HAZEL PARK -- City officials are working to determine how to amend
zoning laws to accommodate medical marijuana dispensaries that want
to locate here.

"Voters in Michigan and Hazel Park have already overwhelmingly
approved the use of medical marijuana," said City Manager Ed
Klobucher. "We want to set aside areas that would be available for
growing facilities to conduct their business."

City Council members this week directed Klobucher and city planning
officials to come up with a proposed amendment to current zoning laws.

"One restriction would be to keep these businesses out of
neighborhoods and away from schools," Klobucher said.

He expects the City Council will have a formal proposal to consider
sometime next month.

Many communities statewide are trying to block medical marijuana businesses.

Royal Oak, for example, first wanted to limit such businesses to a
defined commercial zone and then backtracked after the Royal Oak
police chief suggested marijuana businesses should be banned outright
because all marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

Royal Oak is expected to resolve the question some time next month.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has asked the DEA to respect states
that have medical marijuana laws in place and refrain from seeking
charges unless the growers violate both the state and federal law.
Still, DEA agents have made some raids on dispensaries and growers in
California and Colorado in recent weeks and it is unclear how federal
policy might change under a future administration.

At a Hazel Park City Council meeting on Tuesday, no residents or
business owners spoke out against medical marijuana dispensaries and
growing operations coming to the city, Klobucher said.

"This is still in the beginning stages," he said. "Everybody has a
slightly different idea of what they would like to see."

Under current Michigan law, registered patients can grow up to 12
plants at their homes or choose a caregiver to provide them.
Caregivers can grow up to 60 plants for a maximum of five patients
under the law.

In Hazel Park, Klobucher said business operators have said they would
like to come to the city and set up facilities where a number of
caregivers can grow marijuana plants in one location.