Ann Arbor Marijuana Moratorium Passes

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At its Thursday, Aug. 5, 2010 meeting, the Ann Arbor city council unanimously passed a resolution imposing a 120-day moratorium on dispensing or cultivating marijuana in the city. The moratorium comes in response to operation of dispensaries and cultivation of marijuana in the city under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act of 2008. However, amendments made at the council table provided a grandfathering-in of existing operations, and exclusions for patients and caregivers as defined by the MMA, and was met with some applause from around 75 people who had attended the meeting in opposition to the moratorium.

The legal basis of the moratorium rests partly on construal of marijuana cultivation and dispensing as a land use not expressly allowed in the city’s zoning code.

This brief, filed from city council chambers during the meeting, will be followed by a detailed article: [link]