At tonight's meeting of the City of Cheboygan Council, an amendment to zoning laws resulting from the passage of Michigan Medical Marijuana Initiative at the 2008 general election will be considered.

I submitted the following comments for the record:

To the honorable Mayor and Members of the Council:

Because I am unable to attend tonight’s session, it is my humble request that these comments are submitted for the record and considered during the Council’s deliberations.

It is my understanding a change to section 154.002 of the city’s zoning laws is pending as a result of the passage of Proposal 1, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Initiative, at the 2008 general election.

While the people voted on this matter, it must be emphasized that marijuana remains illegal under federal law, which trumps any action by the State of Michigan.

Because marijuana remains illegal under federal law, I believe the Council should table this matter. Any codifying of so-called medical marijuana will result in increased illegal drug use in the community. This august body should follow the words of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) program and “just say no.”

Should the Council decide to go ahead with changing the zoning law, I would humbly request any changes be as strict as possible to stop marijuana shops from appearing on street corners across the City of Cheboygan. Specifically, I would recommend an amendment that (1) prohibits marijuana shops from doing business within a reasonable distance of schools and churches and (2) requires a quarterly inspection of the premises by the Police Department to ensure compliance with applicable state statute and city ordinances.

Respectfully yours,

Dennis Lennox
DRAIN COMMISSIONER