Editorial: VBT board extends moratorium on marijuana establishments

On April 7, when the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees passed a six-month moratorium on accepting proposals for medical marijuana dispensaries, there were some board members who were skeptical. Could they get an ordinance ready in six months? No problem, they were told.
Now, here they are with the moratorium about to expire and the work is not done. There have been three meetings of a committee that was going to make a recommendation. One meeting was a visit to growing operations and dispensaries in the city of Ypsilanti.
The group is planning to meet again today to discuss providing a recommendation. But, an extension of the moratorium is needed because the work isn’t done.
At Monday’s VBT work/study session, Trustee Hart asked for a timeline – planning is his strong suit – and the new director of planning and economic development Ron Akers drew up a six-month plan and presented it to the board on Tuesday.
It’s a plan for an ordinance. No mention of the state legislation hobbling along in Lansing, which could knock out a local ordinance. That’s why Sumpter Township set aside its complete ordinance for now and also has a long moratorium going. On Friday, Sumpter police carried away two police cars full of marijuana from a growing operation on Harris Road. No citations yet. Medical marijuana is a confusing subject locally and statewide.