STANDISH CITY COUNCIL TO HOLD HEARING ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA

STANDISH - The city of Standish will address the controversial issue
of legal medical marijuana sales permits within the city limits at
their next city council meeting Thursday, June 17.

The council will meet to discuss Standish city ordinance No. 246,
which, if passed, would give the city the power to put a six-month
moratorium on the issuance of permits for the sale or dispensation of
medical marijuana within the city limits.

"All we're going do is put in for an ordinance that would declare a
moratorium that would halt medical marijuana dispensing for six
months, so we can study it," said Standish City Manager Mike Moran.
"We want to study the pros and cons."

Though many think medical marijuana is legal anywhere in the state,
since voters legalized the drug just months ago, Standish City Mayor
Mark Winslow said he was told that there is a choice.

"They left it very vague, and because of that there are very touchy
areas. We can allow it and regulate it. We can disallow it. Or, we
can allow it and not regulate it," said the mayor about the rules of
medical marijuana in the state of Michigan. "To be honest with you, I
don't harbor any fears that some people do. At this particular point,
I am not pressing any panic buttons."

With the council studying other ordinances from different areas
around the state, Winslow said that some places don't allow the sale
of medical marijuana within 1,000 feet of community places like schools.

During a phone interview on Monday, Winslow said that those kind of
considerations could be interesting in a city like Standish since
it's so small.

Though some may think that the city may see some resistance about the
possible delay, Moran thinks that the hearing will go quite quickly.

"I think it will go quickly," Moran said last week. "I haven't had
any indication about a group that doesn't support it."