OPINIONS IN BUCHANAN ARE SPLIT OVER MEDICAL MARIJUANA DISPENSARY

BUCHANAN – The state’s new medical marijuana law continues to be subject of much debate in Berrien County communities. At least three south county communities are debating whether to “opt in” to the new law which allows local governments to license medical marijuana facilities and gain revenue from fees and tax revenue.

As Michigan Municipal League representative Jennifer Rigterink reported earlier this year, the new law names the types of medical marijuana facilities permitted and sets up a regulatory and licensing process similar to what is done for liquor licenses.

Five categories of facilities are allowed for all steps of marijuana production including the selling of seeds, propagation, harvesting and processing, transporting the product, testing the product, delivery and selling the product. The state must still set up the licensing board and the first applications won’t be accepted until the end of this year.

If Municipalities choose to allow any of the facilities, they must adopt new ordinances authorizing them and where they can be located. Municipalities allowing facilities can charge an annual fee of up to $5,000 to cover administrative and enforcement costs.

Last week’s debate took place at the Buchanan City Commission meeting with over 50 residents expressing both concern and support for locating medical marijuana facilities in the city.

Other communities are also discussing the new law. Niles City Council members hosted two forums over the last few weeks, one on Feb. 23 and one on March 7. Galien Township Planning Commissioners will take up the issue again at their April 3 meeting.

Comments made at last week’s Buchanan City Commission brought the debate into focus with people on both sides of the issue offering strong arguments for their views. City Commissioners ended up delaying a vote on opting into the new law until their March 27 meeting.

Residents of the predominantly African American northside neighborhood where a medical marijuana dispensary was proposed to be located were particularly vocal in their opposition to the idea.

“I wish we were talking about ways to promote the churches and youth instead of a drug dispensary,” New Good Hope Missionary Baptist Church Deacon J.T. Williams said.

“We don’t need that influence in the neighborhood,” he added. “We have enough bad influences without having drugs next door. We see it as a detriment to the community, we need something better than a drug house.”

A number of people said they understand that some people depend on medical marijuana to help alleviate pain and symptoms of other medical conditions but noted that there are other communities in the area that will be welcoming such facilities. They pointed to Benton Harbor and Niles as communities that look to be ready to opt in to the new law.

“We don’t want it in the downtown or the residential areas, we could maybe have it in the industrial areas,” local business owner Alice Kring said. “If other towns are having it, we don’t need it here. You need to think long and hard and if you do allow it, you need to make the zoning ordinance very strict and strong.”

Those speaking in favor of allowing medical marijuana dispensaries and other types of commercial facilities included Buchanan resident John Wallace who first brought his proposal to the city and Larry and Mary Beth Tobin of Stevensville who are his partners.

Mary Beth Tobin said taking medical marijuana has made a huge difference in her life and she had seen such facilities operate successfully in other parts of the country. “Please think long and hard, this is an opportunity to really help people,” she said.

“We appreciate you taking the time to consider this matter,” Wallace told commissioners. “A lot of people who need this medicine now have to drive so far away, they don’t want to have to drive that distance any more.”

Grand Rapids attorney Brandon Gardner said he has several clients interested in opening medical marijuana facilities in light of the new law. He said the new law will result both in municipalities getting more funding to police such facilities and people having better and more access to the medical marijuana they need for their health.

Local resident and business owner Alan Robandt said he sees allowing medical marijuana facilities as a way to not only increase the city’s tax base and bring in more revenue to pay for projects, but also create new jobs. “If we had a Jack Daniels factory coming in, everyone would welcome it,” he said.

While they didn’t vote on the matter last week, commissioners did give a hint at what they may do in a month. They noted that if they do decide to opt into the new law, new zoning rules will be developed to cover where facilities can be located and they said facilities would not be put in residential neighborhoods or near churches and schools.