COUNCIL VOTES FOR MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

The East Lansing City Council voted to approve an ordinance regulating
commercial medical marijuana operations within the city limits at its
Tuesday meeting.

Passing with a 4-1 vote, council approved a medical marijuana
ordinance allowing for medical marijuana dispensaries to operate
within primarily office B4 zoning districts in the city.

Councilmember Nathan Triplett said the ordinance is not perfect but
allows for change and is the best decision for the city at this point
in time.

"We've arrived at a solution that is admittedly imperfect, but
workable for the city of East Lansing," Triplett said. "I for one am
prepared to vote on this ordinance this evening."

East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis voted against the ordinance and said he
believed the document underestimated the impact dispensaries would
have on surrounding businesses. He said he believed the council should
feel no pressure to enact an ordinance before commercial distribution
of medical marijuana can be regulated in a more structured setting.

"I think whatever we do has to be mindful for the businesses
surrounding these (dispensaries)," Loomis said. "We have more work to
do."

Council has been discussing medical marijuana ordinances since last
summer. Since then, council had narrowed the possible ordinances down
from three to the ordinance passed Tuesday.

East Lansing's Planning and Zoning Administrator Darcy Schmitt said
the purpose of dispensaries being in the primarily office district was
because of a general consensus that retail operations were
undesirable.

"I think we've concluded as a council that we don't want this type of
business to be a storefront," Schmitt said.

Assistant City Attorney Tom Yeadon said the ordinance does not
regulate home-based operation but does regulate the commercial aspects
of medical marijuana.

"We're regulating the business aspect of it (with the substitute
ordinance)," Yeadon said.

Many residents living in East Lansing neighborhoods felt the B4
districts are not the right choice for medical marijuana operations,
East Lansing resident Don Power said. He said the basis of the
ordinance was other zoning districts should be considered.

"In our view, you have the framework to work within, but you're not
done," Power said. "Let us not make (the substitute ordinance) too
restrictive, but let's make it something that's functional."

Power said before council's vote that city officials should take more
time to view and consider more options before making a final decision.

"We're trying to do something so we can at least talk about it," he
said.