In 2012, Grand Rapids residents voted to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana.
And in 2016, Michigan lawmakers passed the Medical Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act, which set up the licensing and regulatory framework for the medical marijuana industry.
But as a story in MiBiz points out, despite all that, Grand Rapids has not moved towards allowing medical marijuana facilities.
Jon O’Connor, Grand Rapids First Ward City Commissioner, and Roberta King, Founder of Canna Communication, joined Stateside to discuss the status of marijuana in Grand Rapids.
O’Connor expressed his disappointment in the lack of progress by Grand Rapids on the issue, and explained what his fellow commissioners are thinking about the benefits and risks of medical marijuana. King discussed the effects of the wait-and-see approach on people who need medical marijuana, as well as ways in which communities can tailor their zoning laws to better accommodate local needs and politics surrounding medical marijuana.
Listen above.
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