MAN PLANS FIGHT FOR MARIJUANA BUSINESS

CALEDONIA TWP. -- A Perrinton man whose business plan for a medical
marijuana dispensary was denied by the Caledonia Township zoning
administrator plans to appeal the decision.

Doug Markva will appear before the Zoning Board of Appeals at 6:30
p.m. Wednesday to present his plan for a dispensary at 2611 E. M-21, Suite A.

Markva encourages the public to come to the appeal and hear about his
plans, which he said are well thought out.

"I'm not trying to do anything illegal," he said.

Markva says he carefully considered all aspects before he chose the
store's location near the Enterprise car rental site on M-21.

"The reason why I picked the spot over there is I want to be near law
enforcement," he said. "I don't want to get robbed.

"There are also no sidewalks, which means no foot traffic. There
aren't any kids out there riding their bikes or anything like
that...It's a spot where there is no need for children to be out there."

Markva plans to model his shop after one in Mount Pleasant.

The shop would contain 12 lockers that could be rented out to
caregivers who are growing the marijuana elsewhere. The caregivers
would rent the lockers for $50 apiece and bring in any excess
marijuana they grow. The marijuana in the lockers would then be sold
by Markva's dispensary to other caregivers or patients in need, whose
medical marijuana credentials would be checked.

"It's inevitable these caregivers are going to have times where they
grow too much or too little and that's what we will be here for," Markva said.

The business would make 20 percent commission off of any marijuana it
sells and the rest of the money would go to the caregiver who grew it.

Markva said he would not permit any growing, smoking or using or
loitering inside or outside of the business.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Doug Piggot said he believes the
business plan violates the law in which caregivers can only have five patients.

"Based on what I know about the medical marijuana act, what they're
proposing to do is not allowed," Piggot said previously. "There is
nothing that indicates they can sell it to anyone other than the five
patients each caregiver is limited to at any one time."

Markva said he doesn't believe it's against the law because other
businesses are already doing exactly what he plans to do in Caledonia Township.

"If this gets denied I plan to get a lawyer and go all the way with
it," Markva said. "Somebody has to stick their neck on the chopping
block and I'm just the man to do it."

For more information, Markva can be reached at 743-9000.