LANSING COUNCIL PASSES MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

The Lansing City Council on Monday passed a medical marijuana
ordinance to permit the administering of the drug as a home occupation.

The vote was 5-0, minus the presence of council members A'Lynne
Robinson, Derrick Quinney and Brian Jeffries.

"This has to deal with zoning," said Councilwoman Carol Wood, who
chairs the public safety committee. "This will only have a small effect."

Members will return to the issue next Monday to determine whether the
ordinance takes effect immediately.

Several communities, including Grand Rapids, already permit the
administering of medical marijuana as a home occupation.

Shaped by the input of both medical marijuana patients and concerned
parents, Lansing's ordinance would mandate at least 1,000 feet
between certain institutions and addresses of those authorized by law
to transfer, distribute or administer medical marijuana to patients.
Those institutions include public and private schools and colleges,
substance abuse prevention services, playgrounds and churches.

Since city administrators introduced the proposed ordinance last
June, critics have been upset with the distance requirement, saying
that it implies a criminal element.

"Why would you not allow caregivers equal rights?" asked Isaac
Francisco, an East Grand River Avenue resident who spoke at a recent meeting.

Lansing is like other communities struggling to determine how they'll
manage a 2008 voter-approved state law that permits the sick to use
medical marijuana. For any kind of patient-caregiver relationship,
parties must have the state's approval to respectively receive and
provide medical marijuana.

In other business, council members hosted a public hearing regarding
modifications to the city's snow and ice removal ordinance.

If approved, the city could remove snow and ice from sidewalks if
they remained clogged 24 hours after a major snowfall. But the
property owners who didn't clear their sidewalk would have to pay a
minimum of $116, which would be tacked onto their property tax bills.

Property owners would receive two days of notice of the city's plans
to clear sidewalks.

The current policy is to issue tickets and fines for snow that is
left on sidewalks. There's a minimum cost of approximately $50 if cited.

Julie Powers, representing the Mid-Michigan Environmental Action
Council, thanked the council for seriously considering changes that
were introduced more than a year ago.

"I walk. I bike," she said. "I want to thank you all truly for being
so forward thinking."

David Riddle, who lives on Kalamazoo Street, called for language that
would ensure he wouldn't have to shovel sidewalks more than once
should the city's plows blow snow over them while clearing the roads.

"I will shovel once per snowfall," he said.

Council moved the proposed ordinance over to its public services committee.