MedicalNeed
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WYOMING - The executive director of the West Michigan Compassion Club said advocates of medical marijuana won a battle Tuesday, even though the city's Planning Commission failed to agree on local regulations that would permit use of the drug in accordance with voter-approved state law.
The board of appointed citizens was gridlocked 4-4 on whether to allow medicinal use of marijuana with certain restrictions. Half of the commissioners favored a ban in line with federal law, but that's down from six who preferred prohibition in an unofficial straw poll last month.
The City Council now will take up the issue Nov. 1.
"This law was intended to take us off the front lines of the drug war," said club director Todd Dyer, a Wyoming man who is both a licensed medical marijuana caregiver and a patient who uses the drug to relieve chronic nerve pain resulting from an auto accident.
"You shut down caregivers and where are you driving people to? The criminal element."
Crime potential is one reason Wyoming must be careful with medical marijuana, Police Chief James Carmody said. For example, one fear is that theft of plants grown in a caregiver's home might spill into neighborhood violence, he said.
Wyoming staff have proposed a series of medical marijuana regulations
- Patients and caregivers must register with the city.
- Caregivers may operate one per parcel only in certain residential zones at least 1,000 feet from schools, child care centers and public parks or playgrounds.
- Building permits must be obtained for devices used to cultivate marijuana.
- Pickup and delivery of medical marijuana may not occur before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
- No signs related to medical marijuana are allowed.
Commercial dispensaries would be prohibited.
"The people indicated (through the statewide vote) they wanted the use. We don't want to deny that to them," City Attorney Jack Sluiter said. "We want to eliminate the commercialization of marijuana and we want to make sure (cultivation) is done safely."
Still, some planning commissioners want to ban the drug as several Michigan cities already have done. John Bueche, Robert Goodheart, Rob Postema and Chris Weller voted to recommend a ban. William Hegyi, David Micele, Sherrie Spencer and Anthony Woodruff support the proposed regulations.
Commissioner Kirk Bloomquist, a Wyoming schools administrator, was absent.
"The way the (state) law is written, there's just too many problems to control it," Postema said. "We have a lot of concern that (problems related to medical marijuana in California) might happen in this community."
Several other area communities including East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Holland, Walker and Allendale also are reviewing the issue. Kentwood this month prohibited dispensaries and are reviewing other regulations.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:mlive.com
Author: Matt Vande Bunte
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Copyright: 2010 Michigan Live LLC
Website:Medical marijuana advocate calls Wyoming's split vote on regulations a victory | MLive.com
The board of appointed citizens was gridlocked 4-4 on whether to allow medicinal use of marijuana with certain restrictions. Half of the commissioners favored a ban in line with federal law, but that's down from six who preferred prohibition in an unofficial straw poll last month.
The City Council now will take up the issue Nov. 1.
"This law was intended to take us off the front lines of the drug war," said club director Todd Dyer, a Wyoming man who is both a licensed medical marijuana caregiver and a patient who uses the drug to relieve chronic nerve pain resulting from an auto accident.
"You shut down caregivers and where are you driving people to? The criminal element."
Crime potential is one reason Wyoming must be careful with medical marijuana, Police Chief James Carmody said. For example, one fear is that theft of plants grown in a caregiver's home might spill into neighborhood violence, he said.
Wyoming staff have proposed a series of medical marijuana regulations
- Patients and caregivers must register with the city.
- Caregivers may operate one per parcel only in certain residential zones at least 1,000 feet from schools, child care centers and public parks or playgrounds.
- Building permits must be obtained for devices used to cultivate marijuana.
- Pickup and delivery of medical marijuana may not occur before 7 a.m. or after 7 p.m.
- No signs related to medical marijuana are allowed.
Commercial dispensaries would be prohibited.
"The people indicated (through the statewide vote) they wanted the use. We don't want to deny that to them," City Attorney Jack Sluiter said. "We want to eliminate the commercialization of marijuana and we want to make sure (cultivation) is done safely."
Still, some planning commissioners want to ban the drug as several Michigan cities already have done. John Bueche, Robert Goodheart, Rob Postema and Chris Weller voted to recommend a ban. William Hegyi, David Micele, Sherrie Spencer and Anthony Woodruff support the proposed regulations.
Commissioner Kirk Bloomquist, a Wyoming schools administrator, was absent.
"The way the (state) law is written, there's just too many problems to control it," Postema said. "We have a lot of concern that (problems related to medical marijuana in California) might happen in this community."
Several other area communities including East Grand Rapids, Grandville, Holland, Walker and Allendale also are reviewing the issue. Kentwood this month prohibited dispensaries and are reviewing other regulations.
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:mlive.com
Author: Matt Vande Bunte
Contact: Contact Us - MLive.com
Copyright: 2010 Michigan Live LLC
Website:Medical marijuana advocate calls Wyoming's split vote on regulations a victory | MLive.com
