By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
GALIEN – In the years since first medical marijuana and then adult use marijuana businesses were legalized in the state of Michigan, area municipalities have continued to address marijuana related issues. Marijuana businesses have opened in a number of communities while other communities are just starting to look at allowing these businesses.
In Galien Township, officials are once again being asked to consider approving adult use marijuana businesses. The township was among the first to approve medical marijuana facilities, but they have yet to allow adult use marijuana projects since the 2018 state referendum approved by voters.
Matthew Sulkowski of Med Farm of Michigan attended the Township Board’s February meeting and asked board members to revisit their marijuana ordinances. Right now, his company can only grow marijuana plants indoors at their township facility and he’d like to see that changed.
Med Farm currently has a medical marijuana grow license permit as well as a processing license permit. The company now grows marijuana plants indoors and would like the opportunity to grow the plants outside.
Sulkowski noted that the company is also a licensed hemp grower and can have as many hemp plants as it wants growing outside.
He’s asking the township for a one year trial run of growing the marijuana plants outside. He’s looking to work with the township to revisit their medical marijuana ordinance and also possibly consider allowing adult use marijuana permits.
“I want to open the door and have conversations with the community,” he said after the meeting. If possible, he would like to expand his company’s grow and processing capabilities and perhaps even do a delivery service if the township doesn’t want to allow retail establishments.
He noted that he’d like to see the township allow the company to have a trial run at growing plants outdoors which he said would allow them to be more competitive in the marijuana market. Allowing adult use marijuana businesses would also bring more revenue into the township.
He said the price of marijuana has come down a lot as more and more operators come into the market. In addition, a black market still exists for marijuana and he believes it will take a time to push the illegal operators out.
Med Farm is located on four acres off of U.S. 12 with actual access through the Galien Industrial Park. He noted that their facility has only one neighbor which is a storage facility.
He said that odors and security were the main concerns residents raised a few years ago. He noted that the company has 24/7 around the clock security. As for odors, he said odors are minor and can only be smelled briefly during the year. He added that hemp plants have the same smell and don’t have any oversight.
The township board voted to table his request at their meeting last month which was held via Zoom. Township Clerk Jennifer Richter suggested tabling the matter since Supervisor Bruce Williams was not in attendance. “Personally speaking, we’ve never made a decision like this without a full board,” she said.
In other business, board members accepted the resignation of electrical inspector Charles Bassinger. He said his certification expires in September and he plans to resign then.
Board members appointed assessor Shalise Northrup as the secretary of the board of review. They also approved annual resolutions related to the board of review which meets the second week of March, July and December. The resolutions included poverty guidelines and allowing local residents to protest in writing to the board of review.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.