PORTAGE (WKZO AM/FM) — The Portage City Council will allow a medical marijuana dispensary to continue to operate, even though they have been trying to shut it down for two years, and are currently battling with the operator over zoning in the courts.
Council Member Terry Urban certainly thought it didn’t make sense to endorse the continued operation of “Lake Effect” given the current state of their ordinance, and state and federal laws that all say what they are doing is illegal.
But most other Council Members thought it was the compassionate thing to do, because without the dispensary, many local medical marijuana patients would have to drive great distances or buy illegally to get their supplies.
The vote was 5 to 2 to let the “Lake Effect” dispensary continue to operate until June. By then licensed and regulated Provisioning Centers should be ready to open their doors.
The State Marijuana Licensing Bureau, which is operating under emergency rules, is allowing local communities to make these decisions on local dispensaries, even though they initially tried to shut them down too.
They were also persuaded to change their minds after an outpouring of protests from medical marijuana customers, fearful they would lose access to their medicine. But the licensing board only gave municipalities until Friday to decide.
The Portage Council also approved a motion of intent to continue formulating an ordinance that conforms to the new state law, without deciding any of the details last night.
