Initial OK for Marijuana Licenses Delayed

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At its Jan. 3, 2011 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council postponed initial approval for a licensing scheme for medical marijuana dispensaries and home occupations.

However, the council did make several amendments to the proposed licensing scheme, which will now be considered as a first reading item at the council’s Jan. 18 meeting. Key elements of the original draft licensing scheme included: no more than 15 licenses would made available citywide for cultivation facilities and dispensaries; preference for applications will be given to facilities operating before Aug. 5, when the city council passed a moratorium on the use of facilities for dispensing and cultivation; provision of names and addresses of various individuals associated with a facility; installation of security measures; posting of signs advising that use of marijuana is against federal law; consent to inspections of unspecified frequency. [.pdf of original draft licensing ordinance]

Amendments made at the Jan. 3 meeting included: elimination of home occupations from the licensing scheme; an increase in the number of licenses to 20 for dispensaries and 10 for cultivation facilities; creation of a licensing board; removal of reference to “misdemeanor involving a controlled substance”; and revision of the language of required internal signage. An amendment that would have removed the requirement that patient names and dollar amounts be printed on package labels was referred to the city attorney for further review. Other amendments are anticipated at the Jan. 18 meeting, when the licensing scheme is likely to receive its initial approval.

The licensing scheme, together with new zoning regulations that stipulate where medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities can be located, are now scheduled to be heard for their final approval at the first meeting in February.

This brief was filed from the boardroom in the Washtenaw County administration building, where the council is meeting due to renovations in the city hall building. A more detailed report will follow: [link]