Lansing – Medical marijuana provisioning centers and commercial growing, processing and safety compliance facilities could have fewer options for locations in the city.
Between 619 and 1,288 parcels in the city could be eligible locations, depending on which rules become part of an ordinance to govern commercial marijuana facilities. Three maps comparing options were reviewed Wednesday at the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety meeting.
Third Ward Council Member Adam Hussain said in the meeting he would like to have the proposed ordinance completed and sent to council’s full eight-member body for review in about a month. The committee is expected to review a 30-page seventh draft of the ordinance on March 1. The 3:30 p.m. meeting on the 10th floor of City Hall will be open to the public.
"It’s been a long road to get us to this point," said Hussain, the committee’s chair.
New state medical marijuana laws will established a Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board, but the structure is not in place yet and applications are not yet being accepted. Hussain said the city won’t begin issuing its licenses until after the state process is in place, which might not be until December.
Lansing’s latest proposed ordinance doesn’t set a cap on the number of establishments that can operate, but it would limit on where the facilities could be located.
In Wednesday’s meeting, City Attorney Jim Smiertka and members of the public reviewed the maps.
It’s not clear which limits the committee will support, but some proposed distance requirements for marijuana establishments that have been mentioned in various drafts of the ordinance include:
- 500 feet from "relevant" marijuana facilities/establishments, churches, playgrounds and substance abuse facilities
- 1,000 feet from schools, child care facilities and parks
- No marijuana establishments located inside an another business
City officials, business owners, residents and experts in the medical marijuana industry estimate there could be up to 70 establishments open in the city. They had been left to operate at their own peril, because their status was unclear in state law.
Once state and local regulations go into effect, it’s unlikely Lansing will have anywhere near that number.
At-Large Council Member Carol Wood reminded attendees at Wednesday’s meeting the state allows cities to have plenty of regulation power.
"The state gave us the ability to enact zoning, but they also gave us the ability to limit licenses, and they also gave us the ability to say ‘no’ to one or all," Wood said.
As of Thursday afternoon, a website called Weedmaps, listed 47 dispensaries open in Lansing. The website allows customers to rate and review each dispensary.
Debate over medical marijuana establishments has intensified over the past year because business owners and neighborhood groups have expressed concerns at several public meetings. Recent raids of establishments in other cities, including Grand Rapids, have some owners, licensed medical marijuana caregivers and patients worried.
Caregivers and patients who grow medical marijuana in their homes are the focus of a new ordinance council approved Monday night. The ordinance requires owners of homes that grow medial marijuana to register with the city if they use more more than 3,500 kilowatt hours of electricity a month.
The city’s review process for the proposed commercial ordinance has drawn criticism. praise and suggestions from a wide scope of people ranging from angry residents and advocacy groups to investors and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"To be quite frank about it, there are many competing interests here," Smiertka said in Wednesday’s meeting of the proposed commercial ordinance. "Drafting (an ordinance) is trying to come up with a compromise."
On May 21, Lansing set a moratorium on the opening of new marijuana establishments. But the moratorium has been difficult for officials to enforce. The city attorney’s office has reviewed public complaints, but hasn’t found any widespread violations. The office has often based its investigations on site visits and advertising.
Hussain said Wednesday the city attorney’s office has received two complaints about establishments this year. But the office couldn’t confirm if either establishment violated the moratorium.
Late last year, the office followed up on 17 complaints it received from the public and found that none resulted in moratorium violations.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: How Will Marijuana Businesses Be Regulated?
Author: Eric Lacy
Contact: 1-517-377-1000
Photo Credit: Julia Nagy
Website: Lansing State Journal
