By
Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst
On
Nov 7th, two proposals Chapters 24 and 61 are on the City of Detroit
Ballot to allow the citizens of Detroit to decide to Opt-Into the State of
Michigan Medical Marijuana Caregivers Act with their vote. The
highlights of the proposals are as follows:
- Opts the City of Detroit
ordinance into the State of Michigan
Medical Marijuana Facilities and Licensing Act
- Allows for new revenue to be
reinvested into parks, recreation centers, retiree pensions, and fighting
the war on poverty
- Establishes standards to
regulate caregiver centers through the city's Building, Safety Engineering
and Environmental Department regarding issuance, renewal and
revocation.
- Amends the definition of a
Drug-Free School Zone to correspond to federal and state law that requires
dispensaries to be at least 1,000 feet from schools, colleges and
public libraries
- Dispensaries will be allowed to
open within 500 feet of another dispensaries, 500 feet of exempt religious
institutions where religious services are regularly conducted.
- Removes restrictions on liquor,
beer/wine stores, child-care centers, arcades and parks.
- Dispensaries would be allowed
to stay open until 9 p.m.
- The new ordinance will aid in
preventing unscrupulous business owners from opening a Church, or Day Care
Center for the sole purpose of preventing the opening of a MMCC business.
- Adoption of this ordinance by
the electorate will effectively stop Winfred Blackmon, Hazel Fludd, and
their clown car full of neighborhood groups who come to EVERY Board
of Zoning Hearing with frivolous claims, twisted reasoning, and false
allegations. In some cases the opposition lives up to 9 miles away from a
MMCC facility and talk about the places like they live next door to them.
The current City of
Detroit Medical Marijuana ordinance violates tenants of the Federal Religious Use and Institutionalized Persons Act and, the
US Constitution 1st Amendment on separation of church and state.
Additionally crime data from the Detroit Police Department shows that crime has
actually DECREASED around the addresses of the businesses and, that they are
viable tax paying entities and, that the neighborhood groups are lying to a
government entity for personal gain.
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Whereas
current District 2 City Council Candidate Roy McAlister is a solid NO vote on both
measures, Council President Pro Tempore George Cushingberry recommends a YES
vote on amending Chapters 24 and 61. If elected to City Council, Roy McAlister
wants to limit and continue the shutdown of MMCC facilities by retaining
the current ordinance. George Cushingberry wants to bring Detroit into the
21st century from 80 years
of prohibition policy based on racist thoughts and ideas from the 1930’s.
Website: House Of Zen / Weedmaps.com
Adopting
both measures will bring needed revenue to the city, create jobs, and
revitalize some of the empty building in the neighborhoods. Another good thing
is that it increases opportunities for Minority and Women owned businesses like
the House of Zen on Mack Avenue who can employ people from the neighborhood,
draw new business to the neighborhood and add to the quality of life.
Vote
YES on 24, Vote YES on 61, now is the time to get the job done.
