DRUG "PROBLEM": IONIA PLANNING COMMISSION DEBATES ON HOW TO REGULATE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA BUSINESSES AND CLUBS

IONIA, Mich. - The Ionia Planning Commission discussed approaches the
city can take to handle the selling of medical marijuana at
Wednesday's meeting.

At March's City Council meeting, the members signed a moratorium that
offered six months for the planning commission to discuss zoning.

During the past few months, the commission has been gathering
information on zoning ordinances in regard to where people will be
able to grow and dispense medical marijuana.

"State law doesn't address the local issues, and probably never
will," said Ionia City Manager Jason Eppler. "The issue is if medical
marijuana businesses, home occupations, care givers and compassion
clubs are appropriate for us (as a city)."

The two primary approaches are completely prohibiting the
distribution of medical marijuana within the city limits, or
regulating it. If regulated, then the planning commission has to
decide if they want to make it designated to a business district, or
a home occupation zone.

A caregiver is allowed to have up to five patients, and 12 plants per
patient equally a total of 60 plants in one business.

If the regulations are going to be for a business district, Ionia
Council member Gordon Kelley, made a comment that if the business is
viable downtown, it could be regulated like a bar.

Other regulations discussed were either allowing the patients to
smoke inside the dispensary or not allowing it.

"I would like to have the community come to an open meeting, so we
can bring it out and talk about it," said planning commission member
Mark Jennings, who said it would be good to hear from a patient or a
medical marijuana business owner so they can learn the practice from
a first-hand experience.

Cities like Livonia have prohibited dispensaries inside of the city
limit due to it violating federal law, but Ionia Public Safety
Department Director David Bulling said that he has heard that they
have been getting backlash from it.

"We are a small zone community that is surrounded by townships that
are not zoned," said Eppler, explaining that if it is unregulated
within the city limits, they could still be around the area.

"This is one of those issues that people have strong philosophical
beliefs," said Eppler. "We are not going to hit on all of them."

The commission is going to read through information and will try to
receive community input on the issue. The discussion will be brought
up at the next meeting on July 14.