MUSKEGON, MI - An officer of the law in Muskegon could soon be spending most of his time "investigating and educating" medical marijuana providers and marijuana-related businesses.

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners Courts and Public Safety committee recently voted to accept a $61,249 Medical Marijuana Operation and Oversight grant from the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, called LARA.

LARA recently made funding available to each county in Michigan, officials said. Muskegon County would collect $3,063 to serve as the grant administrator and fiduciary agent, while $58,186 is budgeted for an officer working for the city of Muskegon and the West Michigan Enforcement Team, called WEMET.

"There's just been an uptick in ... activity," said Muskegon County Grants Coordinator Connie Maxim-Sparrow.

A city of Muskegon officer would be dedicated to "investigating and educating" medical marijuana providers and marijuana-related businesses, according to county documents.

Muskegon County Prosecutor D.J. Hilson said that while caregivers are allowed to give marijuana to patients with medical marijuana cards, dispensaries are not legal. The officer could check on "grow shops" catering toward people growing their own marijuana, or other marijuana-related businesses, he said - mostly to ensure no marijuana is sold under the table.

The money provides some direction into a gray area that law enforcement and prosecutors in Michigan have been trying to navigate for nearly a decade, Hilson said.

"We've been figuring it out for eight years," Hilson said. "Finally, we've got some money to dedicate to an officer."

Muskegon County Commissioner Charles Nash, who is trained as an addiction counselor, said that marijuana available in the present day is more potent than that consumed in previous decades.

"It's not the same story that we had back in the day," he said.

The Muskegon County Board of Commissioners will vote again on the grant when it meets as the full board later this month.

Stephen Kloosterman is a reporter for MLive. Email him at sklooste@mlive.com or follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+

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