Court: Michigan cities can't bar medical marijuana
2/6/2014WYOMING, Mich. — The Michigan Supreme Court has struck down an ordinance in a Grand Rapids suburb that’s intended to prevent the use of medical marijuana.
In a unanimous decision, the court says the city of Wyoming’s ordinance conflicts with a 2008 law approved by voters that allows marijuana use for medicinal purposes. The state’s highest court agreed Thursday with a similar ruling by the Michigan appeals court.
Wyoming passed a zoning ordinance in 2010 to prohibit activities that conflict with federal law. Those activities would include growing or possessing marijuana.
Supreme Court Justice Bridget McCormack says the Wyoming ordinance defeats what state law grants: no penalty for proper use of medical marijuana.
Writing for the court, she says the medical marijuana law doesn’t stop federal authorities from enforcing their own anti-drug law.