CORUNNA – The Shiawassee County Board of Commissioners Thursday enacted a six-month moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries.
The move comes after a request was made earlier in the week by the Shiawassee County Planning Commission to place a moratorium on all property for the use of distributing medical marijuana, including primary caregivers – those who grow marijuana for up to five others.
The board consulted assistant prosecuting attorney Daniel Nees during executive session Thursday before deciding not to move ahead with the request to place a moratorium on primary caregivers.
"I don't think this is intended to affect primary caregivers. This is intended to affect distribution and dispensaries," Commissioner Jaime Pavlica said. "I don't think there is anything in the law that allows anyone to stop or do anything that would affect caregivers."
The measure was approved 6-1, with Commissioner Dan Stewart being the lone holdout.
"I think that it's stigma-based and I feel that it's not fair for small businesses," Stewart said.
The moratorium affects property under the county's zoning jurisdiction. Cities within the county, as well as the townships of Owosso and Caledonia, handle their own zoning regulations.
Community Development Director Peter Preston said the county planning commission is in the process of developing new zoning regulations to keep up with state law. The Medical Marijuana Act was approved by voters in 2008.
The commission asked for the six-month moratorium in case any businesses approached the county before the new zoning ordinances were laid out.
"The board of commissioners has determined that the zoning ordinance has not kept pace with the statewide regulations," Commissioner Gerald Cole said. "It is within the rights of Shiawassee County to establish reasonable regulations to control the locations of dispensaries of medical marijuana."
Commissioner Bruce Robb said a moratorium was needed to address the idea of dispensaries because state law is very vague on the issue.
"The intent of our action here is in no way to interfere with what is current state law," Commissioner Bruce Robb said. "The state law does not address the idea of storefront dispensaries and we're asking for some time for us to look at how that should be handled."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Argus-Press
Author: CHRISTINA GUENTHNER
Contact: The Argus-Press
Copyright: 2010 The Argus-Press
Website: County board approves moratorium on marijuana dispensaries
The move comes after a request was made earlier in the week by the Shiawassee County Planning Commission to place a moratorium on all property for the use of distributing medical marijuana, including primary caregivers – those who grow marijuana for up to five others.
The board consulted assistant prosecuting attorney Daniel Nees during executive session Thursday before deciding not to move ahead with the request to place a moratorium on primary caregivers.
"I don't think this is intended to affect primary caregivers. This is intended to affect distribution and dispensaries," Commissioner Jaime Pavlica said. "I don't think there is anything in the law that allows anyone to stop or do anything that would affect caregivers."
The measure was approved 6-1, with Commissioner Dan Stewart being the lone holdout.
"I think that it's stigma-based and I feel that it's not fair for small businesses," Stewart said.
The moratorium affects property under the county's zoning jurisdiction. Cities within the county, as well as the townships of Owosso and Caledonia, handle their own zoning regulations.
Community Development Director Peter Preston said the county planning commission is in the process of developing new zoning regulations to keep up with state law. The Medical Marijuana Act was approved by voters in 2008.
The commission asked for the six-month moratorium in case any businesses approached the county before the new zoning ordinances were laid out.
"The board of commissioners has determined that the zoning ordinance has not kept pace with the statewide regulations," Commissioner Gerald Cole said. "It is within the rights of Shiawassee County to establish reasonable regulations to control the locations of dispensaries of medical marijuana."
Commissioner Bruce Robb said a moratorium was needed to address the idea of dispensaries because state law is very vague on the issue.
"The intent of our action here is in no way to interfere with what is current state law," Commissioner Bruce Robb said. "The state law does not address the idea of storefront dispensaries and we're asking for some time for us to look at how that should be handled."
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: The Argus-Press
Author: CHRISTINA GUENTHNER
Contact: The Argus-Press
Copyright: 2010 The Argus-Press
Website: County board approves moratorium on marijuana dispensaries
