Medical pot ban extended to June 30 in divided vote

The West Bloomfield Township Board of Trustees voted Monday, May 2 to extend the township’s moratorium on medical marijuana facilities through June 30.

Township Trustees Howard Rosenberg, Larry Brown, and Gene Farber; Treasurer Teri Weingarden; and Clerk Catherine Shaughnessy voted in favor of the moratorium extension, while Trustee Steve Kaplan and Supervisor Michele Economou Ureste voted against it.

Kaplan then moved to have an ordinance enacted to declare that all medical marijuana activities in West Bloomfield contrary to federal law are illegal, but the motion failed.

Medical marijuana use was legalized for qualified patients by Michigan voters in the November 2008 general election. The state’s medical marijuana law then took effect on April 4, 2009.

The resolution for the moratorium extension states that since Nov. 15, 2010, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act has not been amended by the state Legislature and that litigation has been filed and is pending against several Michigan communities, including in the Oakland County Circuit Court against Bloomfield Township and the City of South Lyon, challenging their ordinances regarding medical marijuana.

The resolution also states that upcoming court decisions could influence how West Bloomfield will address medical marijuana.

On May 17, 2010, the township board asked the Planning Commission to draft language regarding the dispensing of medical marijuana in the township.

The Planning Commission recommended to the board an amendment allowing for medical marijuana home use, as permitted by state law.

However, on Aug. 23, the board postponed considering the introduction of the ordinance and instead approved extending a moratorium until Dec. 31, 2010.

On Nov. 15, the moratorium was extended again for another six months; however, the board didn’t indicate if the extension was six months from Nov. 15 or Dec. 31.