By Richard C. Clement
On Thursday December 17, 2015 at 1:15pm, the Detroit City
Council will be voting to implement changes in Ordinance number #61 that will
eliminate up to 95% of the Marijuana Dispensary businesses in the City of
Detroit. The reasons for their removal
is that a number of community groups and Church pastors say that these places
are illegal according to the State of Michigan.
This is the same State of Michigan that poisoned the water in Flint
Michigan, committed Voter Fraud by re-establishing the Emergency Manager by
making it referendum proof, and decimated public education with under-performing
academies and a bunch of MBA’s running the education system instead of educators.
Another reason for the “swift passage” of this ordinance is
that a sitting City Council-member has been promised a financial interest in a marijuana
facility if this ordinance passed as written. The Council-member will get a 10%
stake in a facility called “The Reef”. A
direct quote from the article states the following:
“I was there, and I
can personally attest to the fact that Terrence Mansour is working on a deal to
give a Detroit city council member and their significant other a 10 percent cut
of the action from his dispensary to pass these new rules,” Brikho said. “It’s
a pay-to-play system that is being created by these dirty, corrupt bureaucrats
and the fat cats like Mansour who own them. This is a heist that is taking
place. It’s criminal.”
After the national embarrassment of indictments,
convictions, and issues of public trust, the only honorable thing to do is let
the Citizens of Detroit vote on the ordinance in the general election in
November 2016 through the referendum process. Council-member Pro Tem George Cushingberry
Jr. believes that the Citizen Electors of the City of Detroit should be making
that decision to restore trust and integrity in Detroit and it's elected officials.
Objections to ordinance
- Unreasonable Hours of Operation. Forcing
businesses to close at 8pm based on unsupported data may be un-constitutional
and may be challenged in a court of law.
- Unreasonable excuses to prevent consumption
onsite of Marijuana after purchase or growing. If onsite consumption is allowed for Hookah Bars, Micro Breweries, and Cigar Bars, there is no excuse to
prevent onsite consumption of marijuana on private property with the permission
of the owner. Prosecuting these types of “crimes” is a waste of law
enforcement, and legal resources of the City of Detroit.
- Removal of Drive through businesses based on
unsubstantiated data and the faulty theory of the late Harry Ainslinger 1st
Director of the US Drug Enforcement Agency(DEA)
- Arbitrary and capricious zoning distances for
MMJ businesses and neighborhoods that will Zone 90% of all marijuana businesses
out of business while liquor stores and churches are allowed to cluster with no
extra requirements.
- Prohibiting Waivers for Marijuana Businesses
Solutions:
- 24hr operations with a special permit license
- Removal of onsite consumption restrictions from
the ordinance
- Special Permit to operate a Drive through. These
places should be zoned like a bank or drugstore like CVS, Walgreens, etc.
- Allow a special use permit for cultivation in
commercial areas.
- B4 industry, square footage
- 1000 Feet from a school under the US Drug Free
Zone laws
- Community Benefit Agreement with the Marijuana
facilities promising to hire Detroit residents, and help keep up the
neighborhood adding to the uplift of the quality of life for residents.
Including allowing business owners to select a school and perform 20 hrs.
community service.
A ballot initiative to replace this zoning ordinance will
give Detroit citizens a perfect opportunity to conduct business as long as they
are being good citizens. Currently there are an untold number of Hair Salons,
Liquor Stores, and churches that are right next to each other. Some pastors welcome
the new business as it has been treated as a blight remover and employer.
The work being performed by these Marijuana business owners
on their property rivals HGTV and it is something that should be honored
because it raised the value of the property. For people who say that these
businesses are “dumping” on Detroit, look at what they are dumping. Some of the
revenue from these places could be used to fix public education and fund school
districts like Highland Park Michigan, Inkster, and Detroit Public Schools for
example.
Medical Marijuana has been the best blessing the City has
ever had because lots of investors in state and out of state are headed to
Detroit and Michigan to find property. Empty building that were not being used
are being re-purposed and paying property taxes to the City, unlike Churches
that are open and/or under construction unopened.
People, we need your support for letting the people vote on
this issue. We strongly encourage owners
and supporters to contact Detroit City council-members (
click here) and let
them know how you feel about it.
The citizens of Detroit have too much sense and wisdom to be
bought off from special interest groups, and un-informed clergy members who are
stuck in the draconian era of 1939 of prohibition and don’t take the time to
read. We are issuing an open challenge to Pastor Marvin Winans to visit one of these
esteemed facilities right next to his church at Miles Green Acers on Woodward
and 7 mile next to the Doughnut shop. We
will make sure that no one bites him and we hope that he and his pastor friends
visit the ones on Woodward Avenue.
We want the law to respect the will of the people instead of
one person on the church steeple. We are a democracy not a theocracy!
Let the People Vote!