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RC council discusses medical marijuana

ROGERS CITY — The City of Rogers City Council conducted an informational workshop about Michigan Marijuana laws Tuesday. The workshop took place before the regular meeting and was only informational.

“I think it’s smart to be proactive and educate ourselves. From what I’ve been reading there are a number of communities trying to face this one way or another,” Mayor Scott McLennan said.

City Attorney Mike Vogler discussed the ins and outs of the laws and regulations.

“Growers have to be located in industrial or agricultural zones. It’s generally set up as a permit process where they get a permit from the the city, but at the same time they have to be licensed by the state,” Vogler said. “The state is the organization that pretty much got everything covered at the regulatory standpoint. You don’t have to concern yourself too much about that.”

Locally the state licenses are annual licenses that have to be renewed every year. The local permit ordinances also are set up on an annual basis.

Council member Gary Nowak said he just wanted information on the rules and doesn’t know if he’s for or against it.

Vogler said the only people who can legally possess are people with a medical marijuana card.

“A registered caregiver can possess and grow it and deliver it to people with cards. Those are the only two,” he said.

City Manager Joe Hefele said the issue came up not too long ago on the city manager forum.

“A lot of communities have been approached by people who want to open one of the facilities Mike referred to. Somebody was asking if anyone has been approached and if they’re opting in and I would say the responses more than 90 percent said ‘no,'” Hefele said.

He said these communities said ‘no’ because the laws were changing so rapidly.

Hefele said he’s personally not opposed to it, but he doesn’t think it would be popular in Rogers City.

“It’s my gut it would not be popular to opt in. This is new, there are going to be hiccups. We’ve got some of our neighbors dabbling in this,” Hefele said. “More power to them.”

Mayor Pro Tem Ken Bielas suggested to survey Rogers City to see if what the consensus is on the law. Many of the council members liked this idea as well.

McLennan stressed the meeting was just informational and the council was not to make any kind of decision one way or another about the law.

In other business, the council approved the Masonic Lodge Flag Day ceremony, the Optimist Club soap box derby and the VFW Poppy Days fundraiser.

Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.

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