By Chris Hagan
Review Staff Writer
The Village of Lake Orion, in accordance with state law, will soon allow registered medical marijuana growers to reside within village limits but there are going to be heavy restrictions, under a proposed ordinance.
On Monday, June 8, The Village Council discussed the first reading of their first medical marijuana ordinance. For the past 10 months the Village Council has been working with the zoning board to develop regulations that would bring them into compliance with the Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act.
The village looked to other communities facing the same ordinance issue and drafted certain areas that would be permissible locations for caregivers to reside. The first provision is that caregiver’s location must be more than 1,000 feet from schools, churches and daycare facilities. The areas that fall within the allowed distance restriction would be the southern M-24 corridor and areas along Heights and Bellevue.
‘Our regular drug laws still apply and this ordinance simply regulates legal uses of marijuana for medical purposes,? Village Manager Darwin McClary said.
The caregiver can only grow within a single detached dwelling that can be securely locking and must possess a current registry card for growing and selling legal medical marijuana. There will be a limit of 2-3 caregivers in the village based on the 1,000 foot buffer zone.
Under Michigan law, caregivers are allowed to grow 12 plants per patient, and if the caregiver is also a patient, they’re allowed to grow 12 for themselves as well. The law limits the caregiver to five patients, bringing the maximum amount of marijuana plants per license to 72. They can only provide 2.5 ounces of usable marijuana to the patient at a time.
The ordinance was also created as a preemptive measure so that caregiver facilities didn’t begin setting up in areas the village didn’t want. They were fearful that without having any written ordinance than caregivers could set up where they pleased.
‘Facilities are subject to all permits and inspections including inspections from the Orion Township Fire Department to ensure compliance,? Council President Kenneth Van Portfliet said. ‘Lake Orion Police has the right for approval of the plant enclosure, the security, registration and compliance with the act.?
Caregivers can deliver marijuana to the patient while they’re at home but the patient cannot come to the caregiver to pick it up. If a caregiver is caught selling medical marijuana to someone who is not allowed to use it for medical purposes, they will have their registry car revoked is subject to two years imprisonment and a fine of $2,000.
The second reading for the Medical Marijuana Ordinance will take place on July 13 for consideration of adoption.