Ypsilanti City Council approves cap on medical marijuana facilities on second reading
Ypsilanti is one step closer to capping the number of medical marijuana dispensaries and grow operations in the city at nine.
At its meeting Tuesday night, the Ypsilanti City Council approved the second reading of an ordinance prohibiting more than nine medical marijuana licenses from being issued in the city.
The law will go into effect in 30 days.
Ypsilanti City Council Member Ricky Jefferson.
"The limit is for an area that is a little over four square miles not be saturated (with medical marijuana facilities)," Jefferson said.
Robb voted against the ordinance because he said the city should be limiting the number of facilities through zoning ordinances, not through the number of licenses issued.
Ward 1 now has four medical marijuana facilities open or in the process of opening; Ward 2 has one dispensary; and ward 3 has three facilities and one more preparing to open.
The new ordinance, which allows six dispensaries and three grow operations, comes after an emergency moratorium failed by a 3-3 vote in early June. That would have immediately prohibited any new medical marijuana facilities from opening, including those that have begun the process of opening.
Council then approved the first reading of the new ordinance at its July 16 meeting.
But at least one person who was already in the process of trying to open a dispensary has said he intends to get the dispensary open before the ordinance is enacted on Sept. 5.
The Michigan Medical Marijuana Act passed overwhelmingly in Ypsilanti. In the 2008 vote on whether or not to legalize medical marijuana, Ward 1 voted 1,672 to 359 in favor of it. Ward 2 voted 2,278 to 577 in favor, and Ward 3 voted 1,833 to 441 in favor.
Ward 1 representatives Jefferson and Richardson proposed the legislation after they said they heard complaints from residents about the number of dispensaries and grow operations, especially in Ward 1 on Ypsilanti’s south side.
Jefferson underscored that Michigan's law doesn’t address medical marijuana dispensaries.
"We've got enough dispensaries and there's a grow facility in the process of opening, so I don't know if we need anymore of those either," he said.
Comments
Gary Haller
Sat, Aug 10, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.
there are a number of grow operations that are unlicensed.. they start with medical marijuana cards and progress from there.. the rules are stretched or broken altogether.. These laws are a joke..Pot smoking is Pot smoking..all the law has done is make the quality of the drugs better.. No bugs just high quality dope.. I find that sobriety is the best high of all !!
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 6:45 p.m.
I am a city of Ypsilanti resident and I agree that zoning is how we should limit dispensaries. There is no reason to treat them differently than any other business. I don't think Ypsilanti is in a financial place where we should be turning tax paying businesses away.
Caring
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 4:50 p.m.
How about licenses to grow only in commercial/industrial areas, and not allow it in residential areas?
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 6:47 p.m.
I think that is what is meant by using zoning to regulate and/or limit these businesses. I would consider the large grow operations as something that should go in places zoned for industrial use although I wouldn't really have a problem if a neighbor had some small time grow going on either.
Homeland Conspiracy
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 12:58 p.m.
How about a cap on liquor stores
clownfish
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 12:05 p.m.
I still have yet to see ANY legitimate reason for the city to limit these businesses. It appears to be Reefer Madness.
Aaron Bookvich
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 11:59 a.m.
Should we also limit the drug stores in every city? Last I checked prescription drug abuse has caused more overdose deaths and addiction issues than medical marijuana.
TK2013
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 12:53 a.m.
One need not wonder why a city that can't afford street lights and is headed for bankruptcy got to this point. When an elected legislative body concerns itself more with regulating medical marijuana facilities than it does with correcting an unsustainable financial model, you end up with city that is incapable of even moderately effective self-governance. Ypsi will be following the lead of Detroit by filing bankruptcy in a very short period of time. Special thanks are reserved for Richardson and Jefferson for their head-in-the-sand approach to the real problems facing the city each and every day. Bravo!
M
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 11:58 p.m.
You smell that? I smell a lawsuit.
Ypsibronc
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 11:46 p.m.
Ypsi also needs a cap on the unlicensed growers/dispensers. Amazing how many of our populous must be afflicted with medical conditions necessitating weed.
Woman in Ypsilanti
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 6:51 p.m.
It is amazing how many of our populus must be afflicted with medical conditions necessitating tylenol too. Marijuana is a good all purpose drug in much the same way that Tylenol is although there is one important difference between them. One of them is much much more dangerous than the other. The dangerous one is the Tylenol, btw, just so we are clear.
Soft Paw
Wed, Aug 7, 2013 : 11:33 p.m.
Wish I had one of those licenses. Next best thing to a money printing machine.
clownfish
Thu, Aug 8, 2013 : 12:07 p.m.
No need to wish, fill out the forms, go to work.