By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
While the last year has seen the opening of both medical and recreational marijuana businesses in communities in Berrien County and the rest of Southwest Michigan, the debate continues as to how far people should go to embrace it.
Communities began allowing medical marijuana businesses in 2017 after a change in state law and then have taken up the issue of recreation marijuana businesses after voters approved a state referendum in 2018.
The most recent debate occurred last week in Eau Claire. The Village Council there approved allowing medical marijuana facilities in the village but has yet to allow recreational marijuana businesses. Around 40 local residents attended a public hearing the council held to gather input before taking a vote on recreational marijuana.
People came out on both sides of the recreational marijuana issue at the hearing. Proponents said allowing recreational marijuana businesses in the village will help grow business while opponents said they don’t want to see it in their community.
Retired Berrien County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Joe Garski was among those opposed to allowing recreational
marijuana. “I’m totally against it, I don’t think it’s good for us, I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said. “I don’t think people would come here for recreational marijuana and then stay and shop in the village.”
“I don’t have anything against medical marijuana, I’m only against selling recreational marijuana on Main Street,” he added.
Tom Wright is getting set to open Michigan Total Healing Center as a grow facility in the next few months and then a retail medical marijuana business later this summer. He’d like to be able to also sell recreational marijuana and noted that municipalities can allow recreational marijuana businesses without allowing for public consumption.
“I’ve heard about the golden days of Eau Claire and we’d like to contribute to getting back to those days,” he said. “Look at Bangor, you can see the difference there already. They’ve seen a 10 to 20 percent jump in business. It’s going to be here regardless, it just allows us to do more business.”
He said the rules, regulations and security for marijuana businesses are strict and that no one under age 21 or without a medical marijuana card can get in. He noted that such a business will be stricter than any bar and would be similar to the restrictions on casinos.
Village President John Glassman said he’s keeping an open mind. He noted that the village has lost businesses over the years including a grocery store and a bank. “These (marijuana) businesses are knocking on the door, the question is do we let them in,” he said.
He said marijuana offers more sources of money for municipalities, not only because of the new local development bringing jobs and the revenue from property taxes but also because of the extra revenue coming from the state excise taxes.
He said that 15 percent of the excise tax revenue goes back to municipalities approving recreational marijuana, 15 percent to counties, 35 percent to the school aid fund and 35 to the state transportation to fund road and bridge repairs.
State and local leaders have acknowledged over the last year that the amount of revenue they initially anticipated to get with medical marijuana has changed with the 2018 legalization of recreational marijuana. A three percent excise tax on medical marijuana businesses was eliminated with the 2018 vote.
Michigan Municipal League representative Jennifer Rigterink said last year that municipalities now get a smaller piece of the excise tax pie than they would have before recreational marijuana. They can still charge up to $5,000 in application fees, but the benefits now are seen as coming from economic growth and business development.
Most of the marijuana business activity in Berrien County has been in the southern end, although the city of Benton Harbor is also looking to allow both kinds of marijuana businesses. South county communities that have embraced some form of marijuana are the cities of Buchanan and Niles and Galien Township.
At least one recreational marijuana business has opened in Niles with more on the way and one recreational marijuana business has opened in Buchanan. At least two other Buchanan medical marijuana businesses are in the process of getting their recreational marijuana licenses.
Rick Paniagua is the latest to go the recreational
marijuana route in Buchanan. He opened Mill Valley Hemp late last year and opened Cannavista Wellness in late February in the old Brimfield building on Front Street. Cannavista is currently licensed for medical marijuana and will be selling recreational marijuana later this spring.
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