AUBURN CITY COMMISSION TO DISCUSS MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES,
SUNDAY MORNING ALCOHOL SALES

AUBURN - The Auburn City Commission will discuss medical marijuana
dispensaries and Sunday morning alcohol sales within city limits at 7
p.m. tonight at Auburn City Hall, 113 E. Elm.

Auburn City Manager JoElla Krantz said commissioners will look at how
to deal with zoning for medical marijuana dispensaries and if the
city should opt out of allowing the sale of alcohol before noon on Sundays.

"There is a part where the city commission could opt out of Sunday
morning liquor sales, so we are just letting them know if they would
like to opt out, they have to pass a resolution and then let the
liquor commission know before they start," Krantz said.

The law, approved last month, allows Sunday alcohol sales starting at
7 a.m. The previous law banned liquor sales from 2 a.m. to noon Sunday.

Local governments have until Dec. 15 to notify state officials if
they opt to ban Sunday morning sales, according to officials.

Krantz said this is the first the commission has discussed either of
the issues.

The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act went into effect May 2009. The law
allows certified patients to use marijuana legally for medicinal purposes.

Krantz said Auburn currently has no regulation on dispensaries, which
provide marijuana to patients.

"It's kind of a new territory, so we're looking to see how other
communities are handling it and we'll get information from other
communities and then go from there," Krantz said. "If we choose to
regulate the dispensaries of the medical marijuana, then you'd either
have to approve an ordinance or change your zoning ordinance."