Under a new city proposal, medical marijuana caregivers and bed and breakfasts would have to meet the same business licensing rules.
The Grand Rapids city commission will vote on proposed licensing procedures for home-based businesses at its meeting June 22.
In April, the commission voted to classify medical marijuana caregivers as home-based businesses, and directed the city clerk to come up with procedures for licensing caregivers. Under the clerk's proposal, the homes of marijuana caregivers seeking licenses would be subject to inspections by city departments, including fire and code enforcement.
Clerk Lauri Parks says her office researched the growing of marijuana to determine health and safety requirements for caregivers' homes. She says marijuana growing operations often involve hydroponics, which require extra electrical wiring. The grow operations also put moisture into the air, which could lead to mold problems. She says chemicals are often involved in marijuana growing, and caregivers would be required to take measures to keep the chemicals from affecting neighbors.
Parks says because caregivers could also deal with patients from the public, their homes would be required to have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
The clerk says the same licensing procedures for medical marijuana caregivers would also apply to other home-based businesses, including bed-and-breakfasts. Currently, the city has not required licenses of home-based businesses.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: WZZM13.com
Author: Matt Campbell and Christa Graban
Contact: WZZM13.com
Copyright: 2010 wzzm13.com
Website: Grand Rapids commissioners to vote on licensing rules for medical marijuana caregivers
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
The Grand Rapids city commission will vote on proposed licensing procedures for home-based businesses at its meeting June 22.
In April, the commission voted to classify medical marijuana caregivers as home-based businesses, and directed the city clerk to come up with procedures for licensing caregivers. Under the clerk's proposal, the homes of marijuana caregivers seeking licenses would be subject to inspections by city departments, including fire and code enforcement.
Clerk Lauri Parks says her office researched the growing of marijuana to determine health and safety requirements for caregivers' homes. She says marijuana growing operations often involve hydroponics, which require extra electrical wiring. The grow operations also put moisture into the air, which could lead to mold problems. She says chemicals are often involved in marijuana growing, and caregivers would be required to take measures to keep the chemicals from affecting neighbors.
Parks says because caregivers could also deal with patients from the public, their homes would be required to have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers.
The clerk says the same licensing procedures for medical marijuana caregivers would also apply to other home-based businesses, including bed-and-breakfasts. Currently, the city has not required licenses of home-based businesses.
NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: WZZM13.com
Author: Matt Campbell and Christa Graban
Contact: WZZM13.com
Copyright: 2010 wzzm13.com
Website: Grand Rapids commissioners to vote on licensing rules for medical marijuana caregivers
* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article
