Spring Arbor relegates medical marijuana growers to agriculture zones

Spring Arbor relegates medical marijuana growers to agriculture zones

By Ken Wyatt | Jackson Citizen Patriot
on March 12, 2013 at 1:00 PM, updated March 12, 2013 at 1:05 PM
Medical marijuana in Spring Arbor will be zoned. MLive File Photo
SPRING ARBOR TWP, MI. — After several six-month moratoriums on medical marijuana facilities, Spring Arbor Township has approved an ordinance rooting pot-as-medicine squarely in its zoning code.
The changes allow patients to use medical marijuana in nearly any zoning district, however caregivers can only grow marijuana in areas zoned agriculture only.
Under the amendments to its zoning code, Spring Arbor will allow:


• “Home use” of medical marijuana by “qualifying patients” or “primary caregivers”. There is no restriction to these uses in any zoning district in which dwellings are a permitted or conditional use. Qualified “home users” are allowed to grow or use a >>>limited amount of marijuana for >>personal consumption.



>>>• “Caregiver grow operations,” in which a single primary caregiver may grow and dispense medical marijuana for up to five “qualifying patients.”

However, these operations are >>>restricted to the agricultural zoning district.


Whereas no township registration is need for qualified “home use,” the township zoning administrator
>> must issue a >>>"medical marijuana facility certificate of occupancy” >>for caregiver grow operations.


Spring Arbor’s amended zoning ordinance is similar to those also developed for Napoleon and Summit townships.

This is a restriction to the MMMA by a local community. I don't believe it would hold up in court if tested.

Dr. Bob

I don not foresee any caregivers signing up or even attempting to as one person did in Gr when they tried something similar too this stint !

Are they also saying go-for-it with large(ish) grows if you're in an agriculture location and inclined?

Is this both a red light and a green light? I'm thinking it may be. Spring Arbor is kinda remote and may be looking at this as a revenue generator for their town with the licensing fees.

abe supercro said:

Are they also saying go-for-it with large(ish) grows if you're in an agriculture location and inclined?

Is this both a red light and a green light? I'm thinking it may be. Spring Arbor is kinda remote and may be looking at this as a revenue generator for their town with the licensing fees.

Click to expand...

Greenhouse time maybe ?

Didn't the ACLU sue the city of Livonia over this kind of shit and win a couple years ago?

no doubt this is unjust to anyone (CG) residing in town proper... That part is Bogus!
will have to examine the new ordinance specifically, but i thought that SA was a rather -small- village type town, maybe wrong tho.. Just attempting to see more of towns official motives beyond neg. affecting the few local CGs.

recall SA may have drafted some outlandish lg. agri/GH type ordinances, w/ expensive permit fees.. a few yrs back. maybe not, but posse ble.

a few things may be goin' on w these restrictive, yet pro agri CG grows in rural areas. these remote areas outside of larger towns, possibly w their own CG grow ordinances, may become production areas for the cities. these agri permits wld be expensive and monitoring wld become similar to Colorado, but it'd take a few three yrs.

I agree and I also believe it would not hold up..... A business? Yes A caregiver? No

the box is being built

bloodytrichomes said:

the box is being built

Click to expand...

exactly.

watch out for the nail poking in...

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/court_of_appeals_knocks_down_w.html

Who's up to bat?

Right..... Does the system not recognize that this is all an expensive baseball game? Awwwww what do they care it's just taxpayers and victims money...... and what do they care????? Their getting paid.....

Dr. Bob said:

This is a restriction to the MMMA by a local community. I don't believe it would hold up in court if tested.

Dr. Bob

Click to expand...

so looks like CG can now be classified as 'dispensing' meds....w all the regulations and zoning applicable...


Last Friday, a circuit court judge ruled that dispensaries are bound by local zoning laws.

Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Archie Brown made the ruling in >>refusing dismiss a complaint against two Ypsilanti Township residents who are accused of >>growing >>more marijuana than >>the town's zoning ordinance allows.

Under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act, caregivers can grow up to 72 plants for patients,>> but township code >>only allowed the 12 plants approved for an individual patient.

>>The case was the first court challenge to zoning laws restricting medical marijuana in the state.