In a case of first impression the District Court of the
Eastern District of Michigan ruled that a recipient of a legal medical card to
use marijuana for medical purposes was not entitle to a reasonable accommodation
under the Fair Housing Act and that the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act was preempted
by the Controlled Substance Act.
The Plaintiff suffered from Multiple Sclerosis and received
social security supplemental income. The Plaintiff’s doctor prescribed medical
marijuana to help with her symptoms. The state of Michigan provided Plaintiff
with a medical marijuana card pursuant to the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
Plaintiff began smoking marijuana in her
apartment. The landlord filed for eviction due to her smoking. Plaintiff requested
reasonable accommodations under the Fair Housing Act. The complex is project-based, Section 8, federally assisted
and the lease states that Defendant “may terminate the agreement for various
reasons, including: drug-related criminal activity engaged in on or near the
premises by any Resident, household member, or guest, or any such activity
engaged in on the premises by any other person under the Resident’s control; “if
the landlord determines that the Resident, any member of the Resident’s
household, a guest or another person under the Resident’s control has engaged
in the criminal activity, regardless of whether the Resident, any member of the
Resident’s household, a guest or another person under the Resident’s control
has been arrested or convicted for such activity.” Forest City Residential Management v. Lashawn Beasley and Eugene Kenyon, Case No. 13-14547 (E.D. Mich. 2014)
For the full opinion see: http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/michigan/miedce/2:2013cv14547/285993/37/
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