City still working on regulation ordinance for marijuana dispensaries

It’s taking city officials about four years to adopt an ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries, and they are still not close to being done. Photo by Google.

By Charles Sercombe
Looking for somewhere local to score your medical marijuana?
In Hamtramck, you’ll still have to purchase your prescription outside the city while the city manager tweaks a proposed ordinance that will regulate marijuana dispensaries.
It’s been a work in progress for about four years.
While other cities rushed to welcome the new business after voters approved legalizing the use and sale of medical marijuana, Hamtramck has lagged behind.
At first the issue was discussed by city councilmembers who bickered over whether to restrict where the dispensaries could be located or allow them to operate just about anywhere.
During part of that time, City Clerk August Gitschlag has told officials, and anyone who asked, that he gets a steady stream of callers who are interested in setting up a dispensary.
Some just went ahead and set up shop, only to be promptly closed down.
During the 18 months that Hamtramck was under the control of an emergency manager, the issue was set aside for no apparent reason.
City Manager Katrina Powell has been on the job for less than three months and says she has an intern working on an ordinance. She confirmed that calls are still coming in.
“I’ve got people calling me all the time,” she said.
Powell said she needs to meet with the city council “to find out where their thoughts are.”
“I don’t know where we stand,” she added.
Asked what her own political or moral thoughts are about medical marijuana, she said: “I can’t answer that as a city manager.”
Powell did say that although Hamtramck doesn’t have a law regulating dispensaries, that doesn’t mean you can go ahead and open one just because state law allows it.
That’s because there is no guideline in place to issue a business permit, which would spell out the various codes that need to be followed.
The dispensaries could represent a significant amount of new tax money coming into the city.
In the meantime, those looking to fill their prescriptions will have to take their business to Detroit or the suburbs.