Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Both sides in the debate to allow medical marijuana grow facilities to the city gathered Thursday for a town hall hosted by state Sen. David Knezek (D-Dearborn Heights).
The senator gathered experts from around the state to speak at the Carl E. Stitt American Legion Post No. 232 to make sure that residents in his district are informed about Michigan's ever-evolving medical marijuana laws.
Panel members further explained the new laws and what they mean for the community, with Knezek stressing that the meeting was not a debate, but more of an education session.
Comprising the panel were Doug Mains of the State Bar of Michigan's Marijuana Law section; Shelly Edgerton, director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs; and Robin Schneider, executive director of the National Patients Rights Association.
"I wanted to provide residents with the education they need to advocate for or against any ordinances that they want in the community," Knezek said.
The recently enacted Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act now allows communities to implement their own ordinances approving and regulating marijuana facilities within their borders.
The city of Dearborn Heights has been considering adopting such an ordinance, which would allow grow facilities in the south end of the city.
The constituents in Knezek's district reside in Dearborn Heights, Inkster, Redford, Detroit and Garden City.
The meeting also served to educate members of local city councils and offices in those cities.
"I think it's an important conversation to have," Dearborn Heights Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton said. "Education outreach in the community is needed. I want to hear from my constituents. I work for them."
Inkster Councilman Steven Chisholm attended because he wanted to make sure he had all the information on the subject. "I'm looking to see how the surrounding communities are doing this," he said. "It's a 50/50 subject, and we all need to move in the same direction."
Chisholm said wanted to have the information in case his residents asked him questions about the topic. "I want to be able to refer them to resources," he said.
Knezek opened the meeting talking about the state's 2008 approval of compassionate use of marijuana. "In the years after, legislature dropped the ball," he said.
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008 allows qualified patients and registered caregivers identified with those patients to use marijuana for specified medical conditions. It did not legalize marijuana use.
The law was expanded to allow the use of not only the plants for smoking, but also the infused products, such as oils, butters, and other "edibles."
Schneider talked about the benefit that these edibles give to patients in extreme pain. The law currently allows for those who suffer from illnesses like cancer, arthritis, HIV, AIDS, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease and many more to be eligible to apply as medical marijuana patients.
She spoke of friends who have died and mothers with children who've had seizures, and that she herself had a stroke and got her medical marijuana card; and how hard it was to convince state legislature to pass the original medical marijuana act.
"We wanted better access to clean, safe and tested," product, Schneider said. "Some users smoke, and that's fine. Some others need specific strains and doses."
Timothy Locke and other pro-legalization advocates were present to ask questions about other states and how those laws might apply to Michigan laws.
"We want to make it not legal but lawful," he said. "We want all uses to be legal – plastics, clothing, oil."
The new legislature allows local municipalities to implement their own rules and regulations regarding five categories of the medical marijuana industry.
The law will regulate and tax the medical marijuana industry, but also establish five licensing categories for growers, dispensaries, transporters, testing facilities and processors.
Mains talked about these new licensing regulations and that the state is working to define the "legislative framework" for the new procedures.
"It's a rapidly evolving industry," Mains said. "It's a gray area."
Part of the confusion lies in the fact that Michigan is basically starting from scratch on designing its medical marijuana laws.
Edgerton said that there will be a sort of "roadshow" that will travel all over the state to explain the licenses and what is required to apply for them, complete with checklist to ensure applications are complete.
"I'm nervous," said Detroit resident and caregiver Angela Richards. "I feel like a lot of federal and state regulations contradict with each other, there's nothing straight across the board."
Patient and caregiver Christiana Offerman said she thinks the positives outweigh the negatives for Dearborn Heights, but there is a lot of confusion. "We need proper education, rather than the rumors and propaganda being spread around."
A few audience members voiced their concern that their children would be exposed to more drugs than they already are, or that the smell or secondhand smoke of marijuana would become more prevalent than it already is.
"You can decide on what you want," Mains said. "What kind of facility, which facility, where it would be best suited, spacing requirements."
It will also give municipalities' full control over other issues such as signage, hours of operation and other regulations.
"We are working to figure out what is best for Michigan," Edgerton said.
Applications for the five categories will start being accepted Dec. 15. Visit michigan.gov/medicalmarihuana for more information.
Edgerton stressed there will also be more board meetings to discuss the laws and regulations. Those dates will be Sept.12 at the Eagle Eye Golf Course in Bath, Oct. 25 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, and two other meetings in November and December with locations yet to be determined.
"Our meetings are always live streamed for those who cannot make the actual meetings," she said.
Knezak agrees there is confusion, but offers advice to his constituents. "There is lots of confusion, but the best thing residents can do is engage with city councils and elected officials," he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Residents speak out, learn at medical marijuana town hall in Dearborn Heights | News | pressandguide.com
Author: Elizabeth Barbieri
Contact: Reader Services | pressandguide.com
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Barbieri
Website: pressandguide.com | Serving Dearborn and Dearborn Heights since 1918
The senator gathered experts from around the state to speak at the Carl E. Stitt American Legion Post No. 232 to make sure that residents in his district are informed about Michigan's ever-evolving medical marijuana laws.
Panel members further explained the new laws and what they mean for the community, with Knezek stressing that the meeting was not a debate, but more of an education session.
Comprising the panel were Doug Mains of the State Bar of Michigan's Marijuana Law section; Shelly Edgerton, director of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs; and Robin Schneider, executive director of the National Patients Rights Association.
"I wanted to provide residents with the education they need to advocate for or against any ordinances that they want in the community," Knezek said.
The recently enacted Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act now allows communities to implement their own ordinances approving and regulating marijuana facilities within their borders.
The city of Dearborn Heights has been considering adopting such an ordinance, which would allow grow facilities in the south end of the city.
The constituents in Knezek's district reside in Dearborn Heights, Inkster, Redford, Detroit and Garden City.
The meeting also served to educate members of local city councils and offices in those cities.
"I think it's an important conversation to have," Dearborn Heights Councilwoman Lisa Hicks-Clayton said. "Education outreach in the community is needed. I want to hear from my constituents. I work for them."
Inkster Councilman Steven Chisholm attended because he wanted to make sure he had all the information on the subject. "I'm looking to see how the surrounding communities are doing this," he said. "It's a 50/50 subject, and we all need to move in the same direction."
Chisholm said wanted to have the information in case his residents asked him questions about the topic. "I want to be able to refer them to resources," he said.
Knezek opened the meeting talking about the state's 2008 approval of compassionate use of marijuana. "In the years after, legislature dropped the ball," he said.
The Michigan Medical Marihuana Act of 2008 allows qualified patients and registered caregivers identified with those patients to use marijuana for specified medical conditions. It did not legalize marijuana use.
The law was expanded to allow the use of not only the plants for smoking, but also the infused products, such as oils, butters, and other "edibles."
Schneider talked about the benefit that these edibles give to patients in extreme pain. The law currently allows for those who suffer from illnesses like cancer, arthritis, HIV, AIDS, Crohn's disease, Alzheimer's disease and many more to be eligible to apply as medical marijuana patients.
She spoke of friends who have died and mothers with children who've had seizures, and that she herself had a stroke and got her medical marijuana card; and how hard it was to convince state legislature to pass the original medical marijuana act.
"We wanted better access to clean, safe and tested," product, Schneider said. "Some users smoke, and that's fine. Some others need specific strains and doses."
Timothy Locke and other pro-legalization advocates were present to ask questions about other states and how those laws might apply to Michigan laws.
"We want to make it not legal but lawful," he said. "We want all uses to be legal – plastics, clothing, oil."
The new legislature allows local municipalities to implement their own rules and regulations regarding five categories of the medical marijuana industry.
The law will regulate and tax the medical marijuana industry, but also establish five licensing categories for growers, dispensaries, transporters, testing facilities and processors.
Mains talked about these new licensing regulations and that the state is working to define the "legislative framework" for the new procedures.
"It's a rapidly evolving industry," Mains said. "It's a gray area."
Part of the confusion lies in the fact that Michigan is basically starting from scratch on designing its medical marijuana laws.
Edgerton said that there will be a sort of "roadshow" that will travel all over the state to explain the licenses and what is required to apply for them, complete with checklist to ensure applications are complete.
"I'm nervous," said Detroit resident and caregiver Angela Richards. "I feel like a lot of federal and state regulations contradict with each other, there's nothing straight across the board."
Patient and caregiver Christiana Offerman said she thinks the positives outweigh the negatives for Dearborn Heights, but there is a lot of confusion. "We need proper education, rather than the rumors and propaganda being spread around."
A few audience members voiced their concern that their children would be exposed to more drugs than they already are, or that the smell or secondhand smoke of marijuana would become more prevalent than it already is.
"You can decide on what you want," Mains said. "What kind of facility, which facility, where it would be best suited, spacing requirements."
It will also give municipalities' full control over other issues such as signage, hours of operation and other regulations.
"We are working to figure out what is best for Michigan," Edgerton said.
Applications for the five categories will start being accepted Dec. 15. Visit michigan.gov/medicalmarihuana for more information.
Edgerton stressed there will also be more board meetings to discuss the laws and regulations. Those dates will be Sept.12 at the Eagle Eye Golf Course in Bath, Oct. 25 at the Kellogg Center in East Lansing, and two other meetings in November and December with locations yet to be determined.
"Our meetings are always live streamed for those who cannot make the actual meetings," she said.
Knezak agrees there is confusion, but offers advice to his constituents. "There is lots of confusion, but the best thing residents can do is engage with city councils and elected officials," he said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Residents speak out, learn at medical marijuana town hall in Dearborn Heights | News | pressandguide.com
Author: Elizabeth Barbieri
Contact: Reader Services | pressandguide.com
Photo Credit: Elizabeth Barbieri
Website: pressandguide.com | Serving Dearborn and Dearborn Heights since 1918
