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Parent concerns about a medical marijuana dispensary next to a day-care center haven't changed Blackman Township Supervisor Dan Hawkins' mind about a township board decision not to pass a local ordinance to regulate medical marijuana.
Hawkins said he still believes concerns about the Michigan law that legalized medical marijuana need to be addressed at the state level rather than at the local level.
"My position, personally, is that the law is an ambiguous law," Hawkins said of the medical marijuana measure that Michigan voters approved in 2008. "It's written so that it's very difficult to apply. And hopefully some of the complaints that have come in will be impetus for state law to be written to govern the regulations and restrictions statewide so that townships are not willy-nilly coming up with ordinances that conflict with each other, that are not in harmony with each other."
ABC Academy parents have expressed concerns about the new Kaya Provision Center, 740 Laurence Ave., being next to the day-care center. Medical marijuana patients can obtain the drug at Kaya.
Other municipalities, including the city of Jackson and Leoni Township, are developing ordinances that would regulate medical marijuana and have passed moratoriums on any new dispensaries in the interim.
But the Blackman Township Board last year decided against local medical marijuana regulations. Other Blackman Township Board members contacted Wednesday afternoon could not be immediately reached for comment.
At least two ABC Academy parents have said they plan to go to Monday's Blackman Township Board meeting to ask the board to do something about Kaya Provision Center. The 6 p.m. meeting is at Blackman Township Hall, 1990 W. Parnall Road.
Chris McCabe is one ABC Academy parent who plans to attend.
McCabe, of Jackson, whose 3-year-old daughter attends ABC Academy, said he's called township and state officials about regulating the location of medical marijuana dispensaries.
"It just sounds like everybody is kind of pushing it off on everybody else as to who's responsible for it," said McCabe, who said regulations regarding alcohol and cigarette sales near schools should be expanded to include medical marijuana dispensaries.
"We are now talking about a drug that is illegal to use for 99 percent of our population out there and there's no regulations out there to say how close it can be to a school, a preschool where there's kids," he said.
"I can smell it in the parking lot when I'm picking up my daughter."
Kaya would not have been able to open in Jackson under the city's medical marijuana moratorium, he noted.
"Because we're a couple block up the street, this can happen because Blackman never took the time to think it through," McCabe said.
Hawkins said the township board consulted with its attorney and the Jackson County prosecutor's office before deciding not to approve a medical marijuana ordinance.
A Kaya representative has said there is no illegal activity at the dispensary and that it poses no danger to the children.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mlive.com
Author: Bob Wheaton
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Website: Medical marijuana dispensary by day-care center doesn't change Blackman Township supervisor's mind on local regulations | MLive.com
Hawkins said he still believes concerns about the Michigan law that legalized medical marijuana need to be addressed at the state level rather than at the local level.
"My position, personally, is that the law is an ambiguous law," Hawkins said of the medical marijuana measure that Michigan voters approved in 2008. "It's written so that it's very difficult to apply. And hopefully some of the complaints that have come in will be impetus for state law to be written to govern the regulations and restrictions statewide so that townships are not willy-nilly coming up with ordinances that conflict with each other, that are not in harmony with each other."
ABC Academy parents have expressed concerns about the new Kaya Provision Center, 740 Laurence Ave., being next to the day-care center. Medical marijuana patients can obtain the drug at Kaya.
Other municipalities, including the city of Jackson and Leoni Township, are developing ordinances that would regulate medical marijuana and have passed moratoriums on any new dispensaries in the interim.
But the Blackman Township Board last year decided against local medical marijuana regulations. Other Blackman Township Board members contacted Wednesday afternoon could not be immediately reached for comment.
At least two ABC Academy parents have said they plan to go to Monday's Blackman Township Board meeting to ask the board to do something about Kaya Provision Center. The 6 p.m. meeting is at Blackman Township Hall, 1990 W. Parnall Road.
Chris McCabe is one ABC Academy parent who plans to attend.
McCabe, of Jackson, whose 3-year-old daughter attends ABC Academy, said he's called township and state officials about regulating the location of medical marijuana dispensaries.
"It just sounds like everybody is kind of pushing it off on everybody else as to who's responsible for it," said McCabe, who said regulations regarding alcohol and cigarette sales near schools should be expanded to include medical marijuana dispensaries.
"We are now talking about a drug that is illegal to use for 99 percent of our population out there and there's no regulations out there to say how close it can be to a school, a preschool where there's kids," he said.
"I can smell it in the parking lot when I'm picking up my daughter."
Kaya would not have been able to open in Jackson under the city's medical marijuana moratorium, he noted.
"Because we're a couple block up the street, this can happen because Blackman never took the time to think it through," McCabe said.
Hawkins said the township board consulted with its attorney and the Jackson County prosecutor's office before deciding not to approve a medical marijuana ordinance.
A Kaya representative has said there is no illegal activity at the dispensary and that it poses no danger to the children.
News Hawk- TruthSeekr420 420 MAGAZINE
Source: mlive.com
Author: Bob Wheaton
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Website: Medical marijuana dispensary by day-care center doesn't change Blackman Township supervisor's mind on local regulations | MLive.com
