CITIES PLAN MEDICAL MARIJUANA MEETINGS

People anxious to open a medical marijuana compassion club or
dispensary won't have much luck around Oakland County right now. A
brief check indicates that most communities have established
moratoriums for such operations.

Oakland County Sheriff's Office officials said they are unaware of
any dispensaries in operation.

Waterford Twp.

Waterford Township's moratorium on medical marijuana operations runs
until the end of January 2011. The Waterford Planning Commission
listened to public input this week regarding land use matters
involving medical marijuana. Some people said it should be zoned
commercial. Some said it's against federal law. One man urged the
township to work with him on his request to open a club. The
Waterford Planning Commission will hold a study meeting at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct. 5, to discuss the range of approaches that could be
taken regarding zoning for medical marijuana land-use questions. The
problem is, said Robert Vallina, township community planning and
development director, the medical marijuana act is "silent on
dispensaries and clubs."

For example, should municipalities be dealing with them or should it
be a matter for the state, Vallina asked. It appears that same
question is being asked around the county. Vallina said the Planning
Commission may decide to set up limitations, such as saying that such
clubs could be no closer than 5,000 feet from schools. "They could
also recommend nothing be done," he said.

Waterford's zoning ordinance currently prohibits anything not in
accordance with federal law.

White Lake Twp.

White Lake Township's board will hold a meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday,
Oct. 5, which features the second reading of an ordinance amendment
as the only item on the agenda.

The amendment would prohibit anything in conflict with local, state
or federal law, said Sean O'Neil, White Lake planning director.
"Medical marijuana is not in the amendment."

The township's 90-day moratorium on medical marijuana issues ends in
October. O'Neil said most people who voted for the law believed
marijuana would be made available to "people who are very ill or in
need of serious pain medication."

He said he has had many discussions on the subject. "There are a lot
of people who could truly benefit from it," he said.

"Then I hear others who are skeptical because they have heard
arguments that it's just a step to legalize marijuana."

O'Neil is looking forward to the meeting. "The board can approve,
modify, amend, extend the moratorium or do nothing," he said. "I
expect good conversation."

Auburn Hills

Auburn Hills was one of the first cities in Michigan following
passage of the act to allow medical marijuana dispensaries. "We
approached the issue from a zoning and land use perspective," said
Steven Cohen, director of community development.

"We originally zoned medical marijuana dispensaries in our commercial
areas to keep drug transactions out of the neighborhoods. While the
ordinance was adopted well over a year ago, the city only started to
receive interest from prospective business owners this summer."

Cohen said the majority of inquiries have been requests to open
large-scale facilities, while the city's original ordinance was
intended to comply with the act by allowing a limited number of small
scale, pharmacy-type distribution operations.

"We never envisioned the amount of gray areas in state regulation,
however," he said. Currently, Auburn Hills has a 120-day moratorium
in place to review the issue. The moratorium will remain in effect
until early October, but can be extended if the City Council needs
more time to consider the issue.

West Bloomfield Twp.

Sara Roediger, West Bloomfield's senior planner, said she regularly
receives calls about medical marijuana operations, "but no
applications are taken because the business isn't allowed."

The township has a moratorium in effect until the end of the year.
The township board will be discussing medical marijuana at its Nov.
15 meeting, Roediger said.

David Bertram, legislative liaison team leader with the Michigan
Township Association, said the association held a symposium in July
to talk about the medical marijuana act.

"We don't have a formal policy," he said.

"We are having a hard time getting a handle on the act, and part of
that is because it's written vaguely. Some things, such as number of
plants that can be grown, are clear, but then there are a lot of
other things confusing to us."

Bertram believes no movement will take place in the Legislature
during this election year. "It's going to be a difficult legislative
process because it will take a 3/4th vote of both houses to make
changes," he said.

Locals Look to State

Vallina in Waterford said people viewing the medical marijuana issue
at the local level feel the responsibility for resolving this issue
rests with the state. "There are a lot of issues that need to be
refined in Lansing," he said.

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FYI

The Waterford Planning Commission will hold a study session at 6:30
p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, to review medical marijuana land issues. The
White Lake Township board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5, to
discuss the second reading of an ordinance amendment related to
discussions stemming from medical marijuana.