Chelsea City Council votes to ban medical marijuana dispensaries
The City Council approved the amendment to its zoning ordinance with no discussion.
The ordinance will be effective 20 days after publication.
Jim Drolett, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, said the text change to the zoning amendment would apply to any business use that is contrary to federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
“The intended purpose of this proposed amendment (is) to prohibit the establishment of any uses within the city which violate federal law and this amendment by inference would prohibit medical marijuana dispensary clinics as the sale and distribution of marijuana violates federal law,” according to the agenda item.
Municipalities have been struggling with how and whether to regulate medical marijuana in the wake of Michigan voters approval of it in 2008. Some communities, including Saline in Washtenaw County, have previously banned dispensaries, but the legality of such ordinances is not entirely clear.
On Dec. 1, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit against the cities of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills and Livonia — municipalities that have approved resolutions banning dispensaries similar to the one that Chelsea approved.
Dexter Village is working on changes to its ordinance that would allow the dispensaries. Monday night, the village extended its moratorium while it holds public hearings on the changes to its zoning ordinance on Jan. 3.
In addition, Dexter Township has imposed a moratorium on dispensaries while it irons out a new ordinance. Ann Arbor is also working on an ordinance, and Ypsilanti recently approved one.
Lisa Allmendinger is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lisaallmendinger@annarbor.com. For more Chelsea stories, visit our Chelsea page.
Comments
lionslover
Thu, Dec 16, 2010 : 10:56 a.m.
Anyone out there willing to join me and some friends in boycotting these communities? I've always felt that if a person or place does't want me...I don't need or want them either. Hit'em where it hurts (the pocket) - I always say.
lionslover
Thu, Dec 16, 2010 : 10:49 a.m.
Golly! I'll miss frequenting the Common Grill, Stivers, St Marys, and the chelsea are in general. I already miss the Brecon Grille and Mac' Acadian Seafood in Saline, also the river park. I just simply REFUSE to support heartless, compassionless, immature communities that choose to hang their hat on archaic laws and philosophies that undermine the peoples will. I wonder if these geezers factored that in? I'm positive (have evidence) that there are many who share my feelings about supporting these bogus communities.
bugjuice
Thu, Dec 16, 2010 : 10:44 a.m.
Ah, you've "seen it done". I don't suppose you have ever done it?
treetowncartel
Thu, Dec 16, 2010 : 12:13 a.m.
@ bugjuice, good comments, but it is not that hard to produce kolas worthy of publication in High Times. Seen it done in many different venues over the years, outside and inside.Is it helpful to have some guidance when begining certainly.Also, you don't need to order seeds, you just need to clone it like you can almost any other plant or tree. Decriminalization for possession and personal use is the answer.
kathryn
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 8:14 p.m.
I don't use marijuana and never have, but I sure would like to know it was an option if I was down with pain and nausea of cancer. And since I can rarely keep a house plant alive for longer than a month, I'd also sure appreciate some help with the cultivation. I don't buy the argument that everybody can grow their own. I know that there are lots of variables to control, just like making good bread is more than just mixing water, flour, salt, and yeast. Technique makes a difference.
ffej440
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 4:25 p.m.
They may not be mentioned in the law, but I would dispute your claim that they are illegal. The key is the wording "Primary Caregiver" Primary would indicate your main caregiver but not your only caregiver. For example my primary doc writes me meds, but I also see specialty doctors who also write meds in conjunction with my primary. The wording "Primary" in the law clearly indicates more than one source of caregiver.
ffej440
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 4:15 p.m.
Sorry but again with the myths. Cannibis you did was probobly high in THC which most people think is what we are after. THC is not the chemical we (In most cases) are after. The anti-inflamitory and analgesic properties are in the CBD and CBN. These properties are affected by many factors including the strain itself, nutrients used, lights and even grow time. Sorry but again your response shows your lack of knowledge on MEDICAL cannibis. I have helped many patients with growing and the first lesson is: Forget the magic beans. Knowledge, time and money are all required
Timothy Grass
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 4:06 p.m.
I am pro-legalization of cannabis and especially hemp. In fact, I wish more attention was given to the environmental and economical potential of hemp cultivation, especially in a cash-strapped state like Michigan. But these medical laws are too vague and are already being exploited by too many. Dispensaries are not even mentioned in this legislation and under state and federal law are ILLEGAL. I think people are taking a mile with the inch they've been given. This was never meant to be about creating "businesses" but about helping sick people obtain medicine without the stigma of breaking the law. We are headed in the right direction, but we can't be so cavalier in our interpretation of the law or it will come back to haunt us.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 3:24 p.m.
I'm all for everyone growing their own, but regardless of what others might say, most whom have never grown pot (or smoked it) or make misguided comparisons to growing vegetables or ag crops like corn, growing high grade marijuana indoors under artificial lighting is not as easy or cheap as some might make it out to be.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 3:06 p.m.
If you're going to do anything, you do the homework and do it right. Anything less is a waste of time.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 3:04 p.m.
It's easy to criticize someone from the cheap seats. But that won't change the facts. Ignorance not only breeds fear it breeds cynicism and stupidity. All the education anyone needs about medical grade marijuana and how to grow it, is free if you have an internet connection, can read and have a modicum of comprehension. Some people have all three, others only one.
ffej440
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2:43 p.m.
Sorry but again with the myths. Cannibis you did was probobly high in THC which most people think is what we are after. THC is not the chemical we (In most cases) are after. The anti-inflamitory and analgesic properties are in the CBD and CBN. These properties are affected by many factors including the strain itself, nutrients used, lights and even grow time. Sorry but again your response shows your lack of knowledge on MEDICAL cannibis. I have helped many patients with growing and the first lesson is: Forget the magic beans. Knowledge, time and money are all required
sigdiamond
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2:42 p.m.
I said it was labor intensive and requires distinct knowledge of the plant, down to the individual species. Some species are hardier and less prone to disease, Some do well inside, other not so well. To have a successful indoor grow requires special knowledge on how to control pests and diseases, how to use artificial lighting (not cheap for good lighting btw) and understanding the chemistry of plant nutrition for optimal growth. It is not like growing hardy vegetables in your backyard. For the average indoor grower, getting more than a couple of ounces of clean product from a single plant grown indoors is quite a feat. Heh. You sound like someone who spent thousands of dollars on books and indoor growing equipment and now need to justify your expense by pretending no one without a degree in Chinese arithmetic could possibly figure out the intricacies of watering a plant and shining light on it.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2:32 p.m.
I speak from personal experience and I bet that most professional and home growers would agree with me long before taking Mr Applewhite at his word. If it's so easy then he should open his own dispensary and make the big bucks. Anyone who begins with the words "trust me" reduces their credibility by about 80%. Isn't that what the boyfriend told his girlfriend before she got pregnant?
Marshall Applewhite
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2:11 p.m.
ffej440, Trust me, it was good enough to be considered "medical grade". It did not require immense knowledge or time commitment. I'm beginning to think you are attempting to start your own dispensary by convincing people they are unable to grow the stuff on their own.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2:10 p.m.
I rarely reply to such simplistic statements but the record needs to be set straight (no pun intended). I didn't say it was hard. I said it was labor intensive and requires distinct knowledge of the plant, down to the individual species. Some species are hardier and less prone to disease, Some do well inside, other not so well. To have a successful indoor grow requires special knowledge on how to control pests and diseases, how to use artificial lighting (not cheap for good lighting btw) and understanding the chemistry of plant nutrition for optimal growth. It is not like growing hardy vegetables in your backyard. For the average indoor grower, getting more than a couple of ounces of clean product from a single plant grown indoors is quite a feat. Industrial hemp and medical grade pot, grown outside is simpler but like any cash crop it requires specific knowledge of your crop, some luck and diligence. Ask any farmer if growing anything is easy or cheap and I'm sure you will find neither of those words are in their vocabulary.
ffej440
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 2 p.m.
@ bugjuice- You are 100% correct.Your life story sounds like mine. I also can not understand why people are so in the dark. @Marshall - You may have grown pot, but not medical grade. Its VERY involved.If you don't know what a trichome is you don't know how to grow medical grade.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 1:46 p.m.
Do people who purchase and drink alcohol have to sign a waiver stating that they will not drive? How about people who get prescription drugs from a pharmacy? Good grief! Medical marijuana registrants must re-register and pay the fee every year. There are pills, Marinol, but they are less effective that the real thing. Patches? Is the opposition to medical marijuana because it's smoked or ingested? Do people still see visions of naked hippies at Woodstock and think that all pot smokers are like that? Pot does not make anyone stupid. People were stupid long before they smoked pot or drank. If they were stupid before pot and they're still stupid today. If it's the stupid and dangerous action no matter the substance, that we are worried about then we should pass laws that get rid of stupidity and stupid people. Marijuana is not just for hippies anymore. I've been using pot recreationally for more than 40 years, medically for 2 years since cancer diagnosis, was gainfully employed at the same place for almost 30, married for 35 years to the same woman, saved up and paid for two kids to attend college (they graduated, one with honors) smoked pot and drove cross country (never had an accident or ticket in my life) and operated power tools after a toke or two and still have all my fingers. I would never drink alcohol and attempt driving or using power tools after a beer or two. Much too risky. Unbelievably, in this day and age of the web and Google, that people still don't have the facts about marijuana. There sure is a lot of dangerous misinformation out there. Go look for yourself. Google "marijuana myths and facts".
Marshall Applewhite
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 1:31 p.m.
bugjuice, I've grown marijuana, and it isn't very hard. Any village idiot could do it rather proficiently.
Oregon39_Michigan7
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 1:11 p.m.
I sure hope none of the council-persons never have to experience a family member suffering through pain and a terminal illness.
Tim
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 12:53 p.m.
Do the cards to smoke medical marijuana have an expiration date? I mean, this law was sold under the roose that it was to aid the pain and suffering of terminally ill patients. And why does it have to be smoked? Could someone develop a patch to dispense it? Does the smoker have to sign affidavit that he/she won't drive or operate machinery that could kill someone else?
ffej440
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 12:01 p.m.
I would just like to inform people of the time involved growing your own. Maybe then you can understand the need for a dispensary.First if you need seeds they will most likely come from overseas (3 weeks ship time) then you need to germinate them (1-2 weeks) then starts the veg stage (4 weeks give or take)then flower stage(6-8 weeks) then dry (1 week) then cure (up to 4 weeks). Factor in also that male plants will be killed (Start over) and depending on your skill many conditions can lead to low or poor growth. When your done with all this you can only keep 2.5 oz to last through the next cycle. (not enough to last that long) Hence the need for even people that grow to use a dispensary.
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 10:52 a.m.
Believe it or not, growing medical marijuana is labor intensive. Michigan law essentially requires indoor growing which, even for 4-6 plants, is not cheap, requires daily attention and the knowledge of how to prevent and mitigate indoor plant diseases and pests. I want to know how many posters here decry "big government" and want it to get out of the way of free enterprise and the marketplace, yet blame government when they allow risk takers and their businesses to prosper?
Marshall Applewhite
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 10:36 a.m.
I'm not opposed to marijuana being used medically, but what's wrong with patients growing their own Marijuana?
Guinea Pig in a Tophat
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 10:27 a.m.
"...the sale and distribution of marijuana violates federal law." So Dexter and Ann Arbor will be violating federal law by selling marijuana? Am I reading that right?
bugjuice
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 10:22 a.m.
oldgaffer suffers from Reefer Madness. The madness of the multi billion dollar failed war on drugs and is spreading baseless misinformation. Tobacco and alcohol make people smell bad and so does going without a shower. Is smelling bad a good criteria for prescribing medication and keeping a simple plant illegal? Ingested marijuana has given me between 12 and 18 hours of pain relief after surgery for bladder cancer. A joint not so much but it is longer than two hours. So much for discussion based on the facts. I smoked pot for many many years and kept the same good paying professional job for almost 30 years. So much for the claims of unemployable and useless. Raised a couple of college graduates too. From my own personal experience, ingesting marijuana offers effects similar to prescribed Vicodin and morphine, but without the side effects like hangover and constipation. And the brownies taste good too! Once the old Reefer Madness crowd is gone, maybe, just maybe, the misinformation campaign will die and we can deal with facts instead of scare tactics and misinformation. How many farmers around Dexter would grow Hemp (not marijuana) for a cash crop?
Gersh Avery
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 10:14 a.m.
Again.. I'd like to thank Chelsea for sending their health care money to Dexter. Medical marijuana patients need to get their medicine from somewhere. So I guess that Chelsea wants to drain cash away from their community.
leaguebus
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 9:38 a.m.
Hey its "Reefer Madness" all over again. It makes lots of sense to ban dispensaries then spend a bunch of money because the ACLU sues. Make Mr Drolett pay the legal costs out of his pocket and see how quick he forgets the idea.
Urban Sombrero
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 8:43 a.m.
@oldgaffer---you'd seriously trust Big Pharma over something that grows naturally? Ever hear of Vioxx? I don't trust the pharmaceutical industry at all. Some of what they create works, no doubt. Other drugs, however, are nothing but poison. Yet, we allow them to be sold and marketed and only pull them after someone dies or grows a tail or something. Pot has never killed anyone. It grows naturally. It is harmless. Chelsea and Saline are just anti-progressive. No big surprise there. They've been 50 years behind the times for.....well, pretty much forever.
420
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 8:28 a.m.
"The right prescription drug can provide all day pain relief". Great! Please let my wife know what magic pill you suggest. Her battle with Osteonecrosis is quite painful considering that she is allergic to the majority of pain meds she has been prescribed through the years. And talk about useless, try working or driving on vicodin or oxycontin... they don't make you smell funny but they can certainly do a number on the kidney's and liver. I suppose the majority of voters who voted for medical marijuana had no sense. They are kinda like the VA, now why would the military okay medical marijuana (VA Directive 2010-035)? I guess it's better to purchase natural medicinal herbs from the kids at the local high school, there's plenty of it there. Oh well, being bias and judgmental seems to work for communities like Chelsea and Saline...I wonder how they will fare through the law suits. At least they can buy alcohol on Sunday mornings now, seems like they'll need the tax revenue. If you would like to be a little better informed...visit www.420domains.com.
dextermom
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 8:01 a.m.
Oldgaffer, you're missing the point. This is not asking the City Council if they approve of marijuana as a medical treatment. The voters of the state overwhelmingly approved it's use. What we are figuring out is how to dispense it. Must you have a "caregiver" who grows it or grow it yourself? That gives much less consistency, like getting codeine from someone who sets u[ a lab in the kitchen. Again, as I said yesterday, with out budgets as tight as they are, why would we set ourselves up to spend money on legal fights that we won't win.
Gee
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 7:58 a.m.
Too bad Chelsea doesn't want to take advantage of this opportunity to step forward. Marijuana can ease the suffering of many sorts of patients, and there is no loooooong list of side effects that so many medications carry. Undeniably, smoking is not a good thing, and is avoidable by using edible marijuana products (cookies, brownies, infused butter, etc.) that dispensaries are providing. But smoking can be a solution for people who are consumed with nausea (think chemo / radiation patients) and can't keep anything down, even a pill. For people dealing with this particular health issue marijuana can be a serious healing agent by not only relieving the pain and allowing them to rest comfortably but also for opening up the patient's appetite so that they can eat some nourishing food to help their body get strong again.
oldgaffer
Wed, Dec 15, 2010 : 6:12 a.m.
About time someone had some sense. Ann Arbor's approval of 15 marijuana dispensaries is government gone mad, but then there are a lot of "patients" in Ann Arbor I guess. Medical marijuana is a bad idea. A joint of weed provides pain relief for only 2 hours, makes the smoker smell bad and renders him unemployable and useless to anyone. The right prescription drug can provide all day pain relief.