State Supreme Court Ruling Lines Up With Clinton Twp. Action on Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

It appears unlikely that a medical marijuana facility will be coming to Clinton Township.

On Friday, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled against dispensaries, saying that people who use medical marijuana must grow their own or get it from a state-licensed caregiver.

This falls in line with a moratorium that Clinton Township placed on the pot shops in October while awaiting a decision from the state's high court.

Township officials voted unanimously to extend a moratorium on issuing any certificates of occupancies for medical marijuana facilities until a court ruling on their legality was made.

"There’s still a question of both the conflict of federal and state law and there are some ordinances that have been put on the books by other municipalities, but at this time until I feel some of this is ironed out with the conflict of the laws that have been passed, we should continue with the moratorium," said former Clerk George Fitzgerald prior to the township's decision in October.

Friday's 4-1 Supreme Court decision is the most significant court ruling since voters approved marijuana for certain illnesses in 2008, according to The Associated Press. The state appeals court ruled dispensaries illegal in 2011, but many communities took a hands-off approach while waiting for the Supreme Court to make the ultimate decision.

Like Patch on Facebook | Follow Patch on Twitter | Sign up for Patch's free daily e-newsletter