MARIJUANA MORATORIUM COULD BE EXTENDED

A moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries and changes to the
language would tighten the city's grip on the trade.

The new, extended moratorium allows one caregiver in his or her
"principal residence" to be excluded from the temporary ban on dispensaries.

"This is really an attempt to narrow even more than the initial
moratorium did where this kind of activity might pop up," Community
and Neighborhood Services Director Phil Meyer said.

The city is working with Holland Township to work out the best zoning
and other regulations to handle medical marijuana in their communities.

Holland's moratorium would have expired Feb. 25, but would be
extended through May following a vote of the city council. "These are
complex questions, and I think they require consideration," said
Lindell Herrick, who works in substance abuse prevention.

Medical marijuana advocate Amy Gassaway appealed to the city to hold
off on any laws that could potentially land the medical marijuana
community in the middle of an expensive court case. She would rather
see an extended moratorium.

"We don't need to waste more of our community dollars on this
subject," she said in a letter to the planning commission. "Let's let
the other communities that choose to spend their tax dollars on this
find the answers the hard way."