Medical Marijuana Ordinances Should Focus on Abusers of the Law, panelists say

WYOMING, Michigan - The Michigan Municipal League had a seminar on the "Michigan Medical Marijuana Act and Your Community" at the Wyoming Public Library in Wyoming, Michigan, Feb. 10, 2011. This was one of several workshops on this issue. The session featured several attorneys highly knowledgeable on the medical marijuana law and issues facing Michigan communities. Another session on the topic is planned for April 5 in Lansing.

A general theme of the session was that ordinances being crafted in communities should focus on stopping abusers of the law while allowing those who are truly using marijuana for medical reasons. View an Associated Press article about the League's medical marijuana sessions.

Those speaking were Michael G. Woodworth of the Hubbard Law Firm; Matt Newburg of Newburg Law PLLC; Stuart Dunnings, Ingham County prosecutor; Jerry Lax, attorney with Pear Sperling; Jeff Sauter, Eaton County prosecutor; Brig Smith, Lansing city attorney; William Mathewson, general counsel for the Michigan Municipal League and Matt Bach, director of communications for the Michigan Municipal League. Mathewson told the audience that the League's Lansing staff is working with state lawmakers to reduce some of the confusion over implementing the Medical Marijuana Act approved by voters more than two years ago.

The event was attended by about 40 community officials from throughout the state, including mayors, city managers, village supervisors, council members, attorneys and police officials. Several attending said they really enjoyed the seminar, including Manistee Councilmember Catherine Zaring, who commented about the sesson on the League's Facebook page saying "The Seminar was very informative and cleared up a lot of the confusion over the status of Medical Marijuana in the community. Thanks for making it available to us and for the fantastic panel you put together."

The League will host another session on the same topic April 5, 2011, in Lansing. For details click here. For additional information about the Medical Marijuana law go to this page on the League's website. For more about the League and what we do go to mml.org.

Matt Bach is communications director for the Michigan Municipal League. He can be reached at mbach@mml.org.


Michael G. Woodworth of the Hubbard Law Firm talks about Michigan's Medical Marijuana Law. View more photos from this medical marijuana seminar here on the League's flickr page.