MATTAWAN MAY BAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA SUPPLIERS

MATTAWAN - The Mattawan Village Council has asked its planning
commission to modify the village's zoning ordinance to ban the
manufacture or distribution of medical marijuana.

The council's decision came after a discussion in which attorney
Scott Graham detailed potential responses to the voter-approved law
allowing medical use of marijuana in Michigan in beginning in April
2009. Complicating the issue for municipalities, said Graham, is that
federal law still forbids it.

The city of Livonia banned medical marijuana by adding the sentence
to its regulations "uses for enterprises or purposes that are
contrary to federal, state or local laws or ordinances are prohibited."

Under that language a village resident who holds a medical marijuana
card could possess medical marijuana, but no one in the village could
grow, manufacture or provide it.

Other options would be limiting sale by zoning or allowing medical
marijuana to be made or sold by permit.

After a discussion, the council decided to proceed toward a ban on
manufacturing and distributing marijuana in the village. After the
language comes back from the planning commission, it will formally
vote on the matter.