Township board votes to extend medical pot ban

The Milford Township Board of Trustees voted Wednesday, May 18 to extend the township’s moratorium on medical marijuana establishments and activities for another six months in order to develop land use regulations for such operations under the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.

The moratorium was first enacted by the township board on May 19, 2010 for six months. The board extended the moratorium for another six months on Nov. 17.

“The county commissioners are working with the county prosecutor to come up with language regarding medical marijuana. We should get it in a couple months,” said Township Supervisor Don Green.

“We also hope that the state will come up with something.”

The moratorium denies any use of land in the township for marijuana cultivation or processing, distribution or dispensing, smoking or other administration; marijuana stores; and specialized schools or training involving marijuana.

Medical marijuana use by qualified patients was approved by Michigan voters in the November 2008 general election and went into effect on April 4, 2009.

State law permits physician-approved use of marijuana by patients with debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, and other conditions as approved by the state Department of Community Health.

The township board has previously argued that the township’s current zoning and land use ordinances don’t address the proper location of land uses involving medical marijuana because many of the activities previously were illegal and not permitted in any zoning classification within the township.