HEIGHTS COUNCIL TO DISCUSS MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE TUESDAY

DEARBORN HEIGHTS - There will be a public study session Tuesday
evening on a zoning ordinance amendment that would allow medical
marijuana manufacturing facilities in the city.

Council Chair Ken Baron said the study session will be at 7 p.m. in
the City Hall council chambers.

"Everyone's welcome," Baron said. "We'll all learn something together."

There will be some speakers there to explain the law pertaining to
medical marijuana, he said. He said there are a lot of questions
currently and this will help both council and anyone interested in
attending to better understand the situation.

The ordinance went past its first reading before City Council on Sept. 14.

Besides the manufacturing facilities, the ordinance also deals with
medical marijuana dispensaries, facilities where legally registered
primary caregivers can assist qualifying patients with medical marijuana use.

There is currently a medical marijuana moratorium that has been
extended for four months. It was created to give council time to
adopt ordinance dealing with the changes in state law.

Councilman Tom Berry said he initiated the ordinance and asked that
Corporation Counsel Gary Miotke write it.

The most important reason for the ordinance is to regulate
manufacturing facilities and dispensaries to make sure they cannot be
in residential neighborhoods, he said, but in the commercial district
where the city has greater control.

Medical marijuana is an issue that's not going to go away, Berry
said. The city has an opportunity to take a lead role in establishing
controls and restrictions of it, he said.

A clinical psychologist is also coming to the study session to speak, he said.

Councilwoman Margaret Van Houten said she is against the ordinance
because she believes it will be impossible to enforce.

She would like Dearborn Heights to move in the direction of not
allowing marijuana manufacturing facilities in the city, she said,
which she believes is the direction Dearborn and Livonia are going in.

"A lot of residents are very concerned that the laws are going to be
abused," Van Houten said.

One resident who spoke during the Tuesday council meeting said she
believes having medical marijuana facilities in the city would weaken
the community.