Some neighbors in a Lansing community aren't happy a medical marijuana dispensary opened up in their backyard. The store made it in before the city put a moratorium on new shops about two weeks ago, but an ordinance city council is working on could mean the end of dispensaries in neighborhoods.
Kenneth Corrigan has been living in the same home in Colonial Village for nearly 40 years, but he's having a hard time getting used to his newest neighbor.
"Not a medical marijuana facility," Corrigan said of the new store. "It's just a bad a bad thing for the neighborhood."
Our Miracle Garden just set up shop on Mount Hope Road in the middle of Colonial Village. Owner Jennifer Goodman says her medical marijuana dispensary is doing everything by the books.
"All of our flowers and buds are 100 percent chemical free," Goodman said. "It's all in a licensed kitchen that we make any kind of "medibles," everything is 100-percent by the law."
Soon the shop could be dealing with a new set of rules now that Lansing city council is working on an ordinance that would require dispensaries to get a license.
"we have places for patients that need medical marijuana, but that doesn't mean that we need to see one every other store as you're going down Cedar Street," At-Large Council Member Carol Wood said.
It's still a draft but the ordinance limits where dispensaries can set up and only lets caregivers treat 5 patients. The council is looking to adding to that.
"Residents don't want to see them in the middle of neighborhoods," Wood added. "We're looking at possibly putting a cap which would limit the number of licenses. No one would have grandfathered rights. It wouldn't matter if you were open or not open you'd have to go through a licensing process."
Things Corrigan hope will keep more shops out of his backyard.
"There's far too many medical marijuana dispensaries and they're illegal under federal law," he added.
City Council is hoping to finalize the ordinance by July.
