COUNCIL APPROVES MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY ORDINANCE

Holly - Last Tuesday, the Holly Village Council approved a medical
marijuana dispensary ordinance that would regulate where dispensaries
are located, and how they may be run.

"It's back again," said council president Jeff Miller, when beginning
the discussion of the medical marijuana ordinance. The ordinance had
been sent back to the planning commission after Council member Jason
Hughes had concerns that educational materials would not be allowed at
the dispensary.

The ordinance was returned to council unchanged. The planning
commission explained by memo that the ordinance did allow the
materials to be given out of the same location.

The ordinance regulates the sale of medical marijuana inside the
village, as allowed by a Michigan law passed in 2008. While locations
for a dispensary are limited, there are locations at the north end of
the village that could legally house a marijuana dispensary.

The motion passed unanimously, with Council member Sandra Kleven
making the motion and Hughes supporting.

Inside the Ordinance

The dispensary is run by primary caregivers, growers, who can only
cultivate the marijuana inside the dispensary.

The primary caregivers can only sell marijuana to "qualifying
patients," meaning patients with chronic conditions and or pain that
warrant a note from a doctor suggesting medical marijuana for pain
relief, or increasing their appetite.

No one under 18 will be allowed inside unless they are a qualifying
patient.

The dispensary is not allowed within 500 feet of a residence district,
or other dispensary, or 1,000 feet from a school, or church, or
municipal park.

The dispensary can only operate between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Monday
through Saturday.

Pipes or marijuana paraphernalia are not allowed to be sold at a
dispensary.