From MLive article Jun. 25, 2010
While dozens of Michigan cities have enacted bans on medical marijuana dispensaries, Mayor Craig Covey believes they can foster economic growth in Ferndale while providing sick citizens much-needed relief.
The Ferndale City Council last month passed a 90-day moratorium on medical marijuana businesses as members work to craft new regulations by ordinance, but The Detroit News reports the city “appears poised to embrace medical marijuana commerce.”
And Covey is one of the movement’s most ardent supporters.
“We had two years to do it and we didn’t show political will and courage,” he told the newspaper, referring to the Medical Marijuana Act approved by Michigan voters in 2008. “We dithered. And other cities have taken these strident reactionary positions. My feeling is people still think of college students smoking bongs. This is really about people who have illnesses using this as effective medicine.”
Elsewhere in Metro Detroit, Livonia, Troy and Birmingham have essentially banned the use of medical marijuana, deferring to federal law which still considers any use of the drug illegal.
Covey on Thursday led local reporters on a tour of the city’s first medical marijuana dispensary, Clinical Relief, which opened before the moratorium. Six other entrepreneurs have applied to open clinics but are waiting on council’s action.
“We’re getting customers from all across the state” by advertising on the internet, Clinical Relief co-owner Ryan Richmond told the Detroit Free Press the clinic connects patients with physicians, attorneys and certified caregivers, who are legally allowed to grow up to 12 plants each for a maximum of five patients.
Registered patients can choose between 15 to 20 varieties of marijuana based on health needs in addition to marijuana edibles such as brownies, banana bread, sodas and suckers.
The Ferndale City Council is expected to draft an ordinance later this summer, at which time several other medical marijuana clinics could be approved to open up shop.
