KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP DELAYS VOTING ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA ORDINANCE

KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP - Kalamazoo Township's proposed medical marijuana
ordinance will go back to the drawing board for some tweaking for at
least a couple more months.

The township board on Monday unanimously agreed to Supervisor Terri
Mellinger's suggestion that the controversial ordinance be reviewed
further for 60 days.

The board could have adopted it Monday night after the hearing and
second reading.

The action followed a public hearing Monday night. The board also
heard comments during a first reading last month as well as during a
hearing in October.

"I believe we should give further consideration to the information
and comments brought forward at this evening's meeting," Mellinger
said in a prepared statement. "I suggest the previously established
Medical Marijuana Act Committee give further consideration to
potential alternative approaches that could minimize any disruption
or relocation of existing primary caregiver operations within the Township.

I recognize that it will take some time for the Committee to conduct
this further review and formulate any possible alternative ordinance.
I also recognize that the April 18 deadline on the Township's
moratorium is rapidly approaching. While it is important that the
Township Board come to a decision on this matter in the very near
future, it is even more important that the Board's decision be based
upon full consideration of the concerns of the various affected
parties and represent, as best we can determine, the best interests
of the Township as a whole.

"I therefore move that we direct the Township Attorney to prepare an
ordinance that would extend the Medical Marijuana Act Moratorium
Ordinance for an additional sixty days and that we table any further
action on this matter until after the Medical Marijuana Act Committee
has met and made a recommendation on a potential alternative
ordinance and it is presented to the Board of Trustees for action."

About three dozen people were in the audience, the largest gathering
yet of three meetings on the issue.

All of those who spoke were against the proposed ordinance,
maintaining it puts unfair burdens on caregivers in residential areas
and the preliminary work done on it did not include any medical
marijuana advocates.

Caregiver Chris Childs said during the hearing, "I'm disappointed the
township didn't do some outreach with the community on this," noting
all of the work done on the ordinance was by Township Attorney
Kenneth Sparks and a special committee that did not include citizens.

The committee made recommendations to the planning commission, which
turn forwarded them to the township board.

Speaking out against restrictions about caregivers who would grow pot
for more than one patient in residential areas, John Tragowski said,
"The new ordinance creates such a small commercial area where this
activity is tolerated and creates a hardship."

Others said caregivers are not making a lot of money providing the
substance to patients and cannot afford to purchase property in
commercial and industrial areas to continue their services.

Steve Martindale said the ordinance will "hurt my patients... who
cannot grow for themselves."

Registered patient Salmon Ali, whose residence was raided by
authorities and his marijuana confiscated, said, "I feel like I've
done everything I can to comply, but now I feel like I'm being
discriminated against, like I'm being treated like a criminal."

Still others extolled the virtues of the substance, saying it has
helped them with pain and nausea.

Some who spoke last month suggested the township could face legal
challenges if it adopted the proposed ordinance.

Possession, use and sale of marijuana was illegal in Michigan until
November 2008, when 63 percent of the state's voters approved a
ballot proposal to permit its use and sale for medical purposes.
However, since then, local municipalities have been charged with
implementing the law, which varies on many communities.

Kalamazoo Township, like many other local government entities,
implemented a six-month moratorium last October before the special
committee and Planning Commission came up with a recommendation. More
than two dozen people protested the proposed ordinance at its first
reading Feb. 28.

Mellinger, after Monday night's meeting concluded, made special
efforts to arrange meetings with medical marijuana advocates to get
their input on a possible alternative ordinance.