MORATORIUM: SOME BUSINESSES SCRAMBLE TO OPEN BEFORE LANSING COUNCIL VOTE

The Evolve Alternative Community Foundation Center was operating as a
medical marijuana dispensary when the Lansing City Council officially
proposed a one-year moratorium on similar businesses last week.

Panicked, founder James Lerma spent more money than he expected to
build a cafe that would further his vision and make sure he was fully
operational before the council's possible approval tonight.

"Whatever it takes to make me grandfathered in I will do," he said
Thursday. "With the moratorium, I just need to be completely comfortable."

It's been a scurry, but Lerma thinks he's there.

Jitters abound throughout the Lansing medical marijuana community as
the council gets ready to possibly limit - at least temporarily - the
number of businesses using, storing, growing and distributing medical
marijuana.

The city had a list of 17 such businesses in the city last Monday.
The collection more than doubled by Friday as some businesses
scrambled to make themselves known to the city and open ahead of the
possible moratorium.

Some City Council members say the moratorium is needed so Lansing has
time to properly regulate the licensing of such businesses through
the city clerk's office. If approved, existing places of medical
marijuana commerce, patient care and education would be considered
fully operational and not subject to the moratorium.

Opposition Exists

The moratorium might not get automatic approval tonight. Last week in
a 6-2 vote, Councilwomen Kathie Dunbar and Jessica Yorko voted
against holding tonight's hearing.

Also, Mayor Virg Bernero said he is outraged to see what he
characterizes as the City Council trying to usurp Michigan voters,
who voted to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes in 2008.

"One year is preposterous," he said of the moratorium. "It's closing
the barn door after the horse got out. I don't believe that
(Councilwoman) Carol Wood has the right to say no to what the voters
have said yes to.

"Our job is to facilitate the will of the people, not to try to
thwart the will of the people. A moratorium is simplistic and reactionary."

Wood is chairwoman of the council's public safety committee. She has
been considering a moratorium since early this year and has been
waiting for city attorneys to research and draft the proper language,
plus consider what surrounding communities are doing.

Moratoriums in Use

East Lansing, Leslie and Grand Ledge are just some of the local
communities that are experimenting with moratoriums.

Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings III also has been working
with communities on possible rules to assist their management of the
legal use of medical marijuana.

The ordinance put forth by Wood's committee states that the
moratorium could be enforced at least until the city has completed
its study of the 2008 medical marijuana law and its implications for
the city's "public health, safety and welfare."

"I'm confident that this will pass," Wood said. "We're trying to come
up with a cohesive way to do this (regulation of medical marijuana)."

The council already has approved an ordinance for primary caregivers
wanting to administer medical marijuana as a home occupation.

Communities have been struggling with zoning and regulation issues
because of the new medical marijuana legislation's lack of clarity
regarding dispensaries and compassion clubs.

Limiting Growth

A moratorium would stanch further growth of Lansing's medical
marijuana businesses, which many are along the main drags of East
Michigan and Grand River avenues, South Cedar Street and Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Any moratorium would cut back their competition. That's not the
reason, according to some of their backers, that they've come to
support the moratorium.

However, "these things are popping up all over the place," said Ken
Van Every of the Compassionate Apothecary of Lansing. "We don't want
to turn the place into Amsterdam.

"I think there's plenty of choices out there right now for the
patient to make it a choice of where they want to go to get medication."

John Roberts, co-owner of GRAMS - or the Grand River Alternative
Medicine Services - also favors the moratorium. His dispensary
business has been open for two months.

"You don't want to walk down every street in Lansing and see an
alternative clinic," he said. "You don't want too many of them."