Dexter Village Officials Consider Collaborating with Townships on Medical Marijuana Ordinance

The Village of Dexter is no closer to making a decision on its ordinance to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in the village limits–an issue that has been on the agenda for months.

During Monday's village council meeting, trustees debated the location requirement of dispensaries near schools or the library. The proposed ordinance currently states that dispensaries can not be located within a 500 feet radius of schools or public libraries.

“Why is 500 feet OK?” trustee Joe Semifero asked.  “The federal drug free zone is 1,000 feet.”

According to Community Development Manager Allison Bishop, the drug free zone does not apply to those with a license for medical marijuana.  Five-hundred feet was decided on because 1,000 feet eliminated virtually any area with the proper zoning requirements, she said.

Trustee Jim Carson, who also sits on the Planning Commission, the committee who helped draft the ordinance, defended the decision to make the boundary 500 feet.

“The Planning Commission spent quite a bit of time on 500 or 1,000 feet.  We were under direction from council to provide an ordinance that allowed dispensaries in Dexter.  The 500 (requirement) allowed it. I believe it is that simple.  It’s not based on any federal guidelines."

Smith said the council never asked the commission to come back with an ordinance. 

“It wasn’t an official decree by council,” he said. “Obviously there is some disagreement amongst council on what to do with this.”

Smith shared a letter with the council from the Holland Sentinel News as an example of various municipalities in Ottawa County working through the process of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries collaboratively.

“I feel it is important to find out what our townships around us feel and consider bringing a coalition together and work on a common good,” he said. “It doesn’t make sense to pass one thing and have something else happen outside the village.”

Trustee Paul Cousins made a motion to postpone any decision until further information could be gathered.

“Let’s check to see if other municipalities are interested in joining a coalition before the next meeting and we can proceed with what we want to do based on the information we receive,” Cousins said.

The next council meeting will be 7:30 p.m. March 14 at the . The council is expected to vote on an extension of its medical marijuana moratorium that expires on March 21.