EAST LANSING MORATORIUM ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA NEARING END

EAST LANSING - The city's medical marijuana moratorium may end Feb.
16 if the East Lansing City Council approves a new ordinance
regulating commercial medical marijuana operations.

At its Jan. 25 work session, council members set a public hearing
Feb. 15 to consider the proposed ordinance.

The ordinance could be approved, or the council could vote to extend
the moratorium.

Under the ordinance, such operations would be allowed as a special
land use in B-4 zoning, which zoning and planning administrator Darcy
Schmitt said is used for professional offices.

There would be no limit to the number of registered caregivers who
could open a business, but such a dispensary would have to abide by
all rules and regulations.

Those include being 1,000 feet from any schools or registered day
care facilities and being at least 500 feet from any other
dispensary. Individual caregivers can grow marijuana in their homes,
but cannot have patients obtain the herb there.

Having dispensaries in such zoning would allow patients to visit an
office without the visibility of a storefront.

"It's more private for the patient and the caregiver," Schmitt said.

Hours of operations may be imposed as part of the special use permit.
The owner of the property would have to request the special use
permit, but the caregiver would not have to identify themselves to the council.

The language in the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act has created
uncertainty in many communities statewide, and East Lansing is no exception.

Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon said the vagueness of the law
could lead to a legal challenge.