MedicalNeed
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SOUTHFIELD – The Southfield Planning Commission is set to discuss issues regarding medical marijuana dispensaries during a public hearing at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the Southfield Public Library.
While the city has already seen two clinics and a medical marijuana college open within its borders since voters approved legislation legalizing the narcotic for medical purposes in November 2008, Southfield currently has a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries while officials nail down the logistics.
"There (are) three options that the city can undertake," explained Southfield's new City Planner Terry Croad. "They can just continue business as is with the state law that's been enacted, they can take the approach that the state law is in conflict with federal law and ban it altogether, and the third option is to regulate it as a special land use similar to adult regulated uses, where you have it limited to areas such as light industrial districts with certain restrictions with regards to setbacks for residential districts and (naming) parks (as) drug-free zones, (where there would be) a 200 foot setback from those districts, and separating the uses from each other (such as) 250 feet, and restricting hours of operation, and requiring licensing and permits."
Croad said the city is exploring the third option.
"It started coming to the forefront because other communities were working on it and there was a lot of publicity," Croad said. "The city was receiving inquiries from caregivers and retailers. The city issued a moratorium (and) we were directed by the City Council to investigate this further."
The public hearing has been moved from the Planning Commission's usual spot to the library's meeting room in anticipation of higher-than-normal attendance due to the subject matter.
"I've encouraged anyone who has contacted this office to participate in the public hearing process so we can make a better informed decision and recommendation to the City Council," Croad said. "It's likely that since the Planning Commission has (already) held several study sessions on medical marijuana, they may be making a recommendation that night."
In addition to the Planning Commission, the Southfield Police Department, the city's legal department, and members of the City Council have been researching the issue since it came into play two years ago, according to City Council President Don Fracassi.
The matter is complicated, which could lead to problems down the road, he said.
"The problem when people vote for things in the manner in which they did with marijuana (initiative) – what are the guidelines, what are the regulations, how are we going to decide whether or not somebody is a caregiver or making a business out of it?" Fracassi said. "There's so much money involved here with the marijuana growers and people wishing to illegally sell marijuana, you've got to control something while at the same time trying to regulate it.
"It's very difficult from the standpoint of operating the city and the Police Department, making sure no violators are selling marijuana without the proper credentials," Fracassi continued. "We will get to the bottom of this. The people who are requesting it, is it for social use, or is it for medical use? It's such a difficult thing and that's why the moratorium is on. Nobody has a handle on it quite yet."
It's entirely new territory, said City Councilman Ken Siver, who added that he'd have "no problem" with a medical marijuana dispensary setting up shop in Southfield.
"As long as they follow the law, I don't have any issue with it," he said. "There's just a growing concern. When there's a new business opportunity, I suspect that a lot of people will try to get in on this business opportunity and there may be over-saturation, and then what happens is some go out of business, some merge, get bought up, kind of like anything we've seen over the years, like when ... there were a ton of cable franchises and Web designers, and then the market kind of stabilizes, so I think that's what we're going to see here."
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:candgnews.com
Author: Jennie Miller
Contact: C & G Newspapers, Michigan's Largest Non-Daily Newspaper Group
Copyright: 2008 C & G Publishing
Website:Southfield explores medical marijuana options in city limits
While the city has already seen two clinics and a medical marijuana college open within its borders since voters approved legislation legalizing the narcotic for medical purposes in November 2008, Southfield currently has a moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries while officials nail down the logistics.
"There (are) three options that the city can undertake," explained Southfield's new City Planner Terry Croad. "They can just continue business as is with the state law that's been enacted, they can take the approach that the state law is in conflict with federal law and ban it altogether, and the third option is to regulate it as a special land use similar to adult regulated uses, where you have it limited to areas such as light industrial districts with certain restrictions with regards to setbacks for residential districts and (naming) parks (as) drug-free zones, (where there would be) a 200 foot setback from those districts, and separating the uses from each other (such as) 250 feet, and restricting hours of operation, and requiring licensing and permits."
Croad said the city is exploring the third option.
"It started coming to the forefront because other communities were working on it and there was a lot of publicity," Croad said. "The city was receiving inquiries from caregivers and retailers. The city issued a moratorium (and) we were directed by the City Council to investigate this further."
The public hearing has been moved from the Planning Commission's usual spot to the library's meeting room in anticipation of higher-than-normal attendance due to the subject matter.
"I've encouraged anyone who has contacted this office to participate in the public hearing process so we can make a better informed decision and recommendation to the City Council," Croad said. "It's likely that since the Planning Commission has (already) held several study sessions on medical marijuana, they may be making a recommendation that night."
In addition to the Planning Commission, the Southfield Police Department, the city's legal department, and members of the City Council have been researching the issue since it came into play two years ago, according to City Council President Don Fracassi.
The matter is complicated, which could lead to problems down the road, he said.
"The problem when people vote for things in the manner in which they did with marijuana (initiative) – what are the guidelines, what are the regulations, how are we going to decide whether or not somebody is a caregiver or making a business out of it?" Fracassi said. "There's so much money involved here with the marijuana growers and people wishing to illegally sell marijuana, you've got to control something while at the same time trying to regulate it.
"It's very difficult from the standpoint of operating the city and the Police Department, making sure no violators are selling marijuana without the proper credentials," Fracassi continued. "We will get to the bottom of this. The people who are requesting it, is it for social use, or is it for medical use? It's such a difficult thing and that's why the moratorium is on. Nobody has a handle on it quite yet."
It's entirely new territory, said City Councilman Ken Siver, who added that he'd have "no problem" with a medical marijuana dispensary setting up shop in Southfield.
"As long as they follow the law, I don't have any issue with it," he said. "There's just a growing concern. When there's a new business opportunity, I suspect that a lot of people will try to get in on this business opportunity and there may be over-saturation, and then what happens is some go out of business, some merge, get bought up, kind of like anything we've seen over the years, like when ... there were a ton of cable franchises and Web designers, and then the market kind of stabilizes, so I think that's what we're going to see here."
NewsHawk: MedicalNeed:420 MAGAZINE
Source:candgnews.com
Author: Jennie Miller
Contact: C & G Newspapers, Michigan's Largest Non-Daily Newspaper Group
Copyright: 2008 C & G Publishing
Website:Southfield explores medical marijuana options in city limits
