Marijuana expert needed if commission formed

LANSING - A seven-member commission is expected decide who gets licenses for commercial medical marijuana establishments in the city.

With a 5-3 vote, the City Council passed the measure Monday night after about 45 minutes of discussion in its Committee of the Whole meeting.

“This is the group that will be driving this entire (commercial marijuana) ordinance," said 1st Ward Council Member Jody Washington, who voted against the measure.

Selection of the commission’s members, she added "is going to be very, very politically charged.”

In a perfect world, Council President Patricia Spitzley said, “it would be a group recommendation. But we’re all different people.”

Lansing's structure for a marijuana commission, approved Monday by the Council, includes four members recommended by Council members representing each of Lansing's four wards and three appointed by the mayor: two with business experience and one who is a medical marijuana patient advocate.

At-Large Council Member Carol Wood, and 3rd Ward Member Adam Hussainalso voted against the plan.

After the vote, Husain, stressed that all seven commission members should be residents of the city. All eight members agreed.

The city's efforts to craft a proposed commercial marijuana ordinance started over 18 months ago. The council is scheduled to revisit other aspects of the proposed marijuana ordinance at its 5 p.m. July 10 Committee of the Whole meeting.

Briefly discussed Monday among Council members was a memorandum from City Clerk Chris Swope sent to them on June 12. Swope said that if an ordinance requires his office to oversee the licensing process then "multiple experts" would be needed to review applications "at a cost to the city."

A draft of an ordinance, cited by Swope and reviewed by Council's Committee on Public Safety, mentions that a hired expert would review applications to determine the level of quality. A commission that receives the applications would then decide if they should be approved.

Requirements for experts to oversee how applications are processed could put the city at risk, Swope said.

"The cost of an expert would be incurred by the city which might outweigh the benefit," Swope said. "In addition, these documents are not requested for any other type of business license which could be grounds for a lawsuit."

Monday's meeting fell on the same day the state's five-member Medical Marijuana Licensing Board held its first public meeting.

Board members and the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs are expected to decide by early 2018 how the state will receive license applications and issue them.

City officials have estimated there are up to 70 unlicensed commercial establishments, including dispensaries, open in the city. They are all operating illegally under state law. The state licensing board aims to make establishments that get licenses legal.

Until that happens, the city isn't expected to start its own licensing process.

Eric Lacy is a reporter for the Lansing State Journal. Contact him at 517-377-1206 or elacy@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @EricLacy.