NILES — Despite warnings that it won’t withstand a court challenge, the Niles City Council on Monday night approved without objection an ordinance regulating activities related to Michigan’s Medical Marijuana Act.
Essentially, the ordinance requires that marijuana be grown indoors. Also, caregivers who provide the drug for patients — they can supply as many as 12 plants each, for up to five patients — cannot do so within 1,000 feet of schools and could be subject to zoning restrictions.
Several residents raised questions about the ordinance, as did Brian Francisco, executive director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association. Francisco called it “a bad law,” citing the 1,000-foot school zone restriction, the “under roof” growing requirement and the possibility special-use permits may be required for caregivers.
But Mayor Mike McCauslin and City Administrator Terry Eull defended it, arguing the council’s intent is to protect the community.
Niles, Michigan (orange areas = 1000' school zone)
This is a Google Earth snapshot of Niles, Michigan. The orange spots represent the 1000′ radius around local schools in Niles. So long as you do not live in an orange neighborhood, you can grow medical marijuana for yourself and other patients, according Mayor McCauslin.
Yet the biggest growing problem of drug abuse among our nation’s youth these days are illicit pharmaceuticals. Can you imagine a mayor and a city council telling residents of Niles’ orange neighborhoods they could no longer store prescriptions for Oxycontin and Vicodin in their homes?
I can understand a limit to only growing indoors from the perspective of public safety. I don’t agree with it, of course, but at least it has a logical basis. If you’re growing outdoors, that’s soon to be local knowledge and possibly set you up for a robbery. If you’re growing indoors it’s more likely to be kept secret.
But what is the rationale for keeping secret indoor grows 1000′ away from a school?
They Just Need Too Legalize Weed. People Like Me Get Into Too Much Trouble Trying Too Get Away With It Being Illegal..
Even though it is now legal in Michigan Marijuana still has a very underserved “Stigma” from “Reefer Madness” and those people who still believe the movie. They should watch the movie “Jewel Robbery” made in 1932, pre-code days, with William Powell and Kay Francis. William Powell plays a jewel thief who when the police show up hands out his ‘personal’ brand of cigarette (marijuana of course.) So the cops smoke the marijuana and get so stupid they start making prank phone calls. When asked what he gave them to smoke William Powell replies, “A harmless smoke that will let them sleep like babies and wake up happy and hungry.” This was the view on marijuana in America before Harry Anslinger and William Randolf Hearst started “Reefer Madness” by publishing outright lies regarding marijuana use. Then ex-president Nixon injected America with more “Reefer Madness” with the passage of the CSA Act placing Marijuana in Schedule I. “Reefer Madness” then got another boost when ex president Bush (the daddy) stopped the very successful Federal IND Program because it was becoming to successful. The only reason the U.S.Government wants marijuana kept illegal, and scientific and medical research on Marijuana prohibited, is because they already know the truth as to the incredible therapeutic effects of the Marijuana plant. They want to develope a THC Whole Cannabis delivery system other than Vaporizing or smoking, or they want to seperate the cannabinoids i.e. THC, CBD’s, etc., and sell it through a pharmacy. That is why the U.S. Government already owns all patents on any future medicine from the Cannabis plant. Our government is made up of a bunch of evil thieves. Our founding Fathers would have them impeached for for lieing to the people.
Ya. When I was in school I often bought my weed form old guys with walkers.
“Hey you young whipper snapper, do you want to buy some Marijuana Cigarettes. What do you call it, loco weed….ah…err….reefer….oh never mind I’m going to sleep now ZZZZZZZZZ
I assume they are afriad of that one medical patient that ‘turned bad’ when their social security check ran out, and they had to resort to selling their mmj to the 16 year old kid walking home from school.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!