E.L. RESIDENTS ASK COUNCIL TO RE-EXAMINE ORDINANCE

Though the East Lansing City Council spent nearly a year working
toward an ordinance regulating commercial distribution of medical
marijuana in the city, some believe the work should continue.

Some East Lansing residents formally have requested council reconsider
its vote on a recently passed ordinance, which allows for the presence
of medical marijuana dispensaries in primarily office districts within
the city limits, East Lansing City Manager Ted Staton said.

"I don't know what will come of it, but there are people out there
encouraging council to think again," Staton said.

The ordinance was passed at the council's March 15 meeting in a 4-1
vote.

East Lansing resident Ralph Monsma, one citizen championing the move
to reconsider the ordinance, said many properties potentially could be
available to medical marijuana dispensaries, but from the restrictions
given in the ordinance, it was hard to understand what properties were
eligible.

"It's very difficult to figure out how they could pick which one of
those things could be approved - a lot of the guidelines aren't
figured out yet," Monsma said.

Monsma said he and the other concerned citizens involved - most of
whom reside in the Pinecrest neighborhood north of MSU campus, near B4
districts affected by the ordinance - believe the document was
difficult to understand for everyone involved and should be worked on
before more action is taken.

"It just has to be clearer and it has to be more workable," Monsma
said. "We're just trying to make sure that the document can be
understood by our residents."

Definitional problems, concentration of dispensaries in one area of
the city and legal issues were other pieces of the ordinance some
residents would like council to revisit, Monsma said.

Councilmember Kevin Beard said he was aware some citizens are
concerned about certain aspects of the ordinance, but was unsure of
the specific changes they wanted to make.

He said until he saw the specific changes they were looking for, he
would be uncomfortable changing his position or moving for a
reconsideration.

"At this point in time, I would not be comfortable moving to
reconsider (the ordinance) ... without additional information as to
what these folks want to see further adjusted or changed," Beard said.

East Lansing Mayor Vic Loomis, who voted against the ordinance, said
he still has concerns with pieces of the ordinance.

"I ... felt there was more work that needed to be done to begin with,"
Loomis said. "I still feel the ordinance, as passed, is deficient."