State of the Bud - Marijuana Businesses in the City of Detroit Status Report April 2016

by Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst

                Inspections of Medical Marijuana facilities will continue with employees from BSEED and the Detroit Police Department to assist in gaining access to the property in question. According to City of Detroit Building Inspector Wayne Wilkins (wikinsr@detroitmi.gov), by law they are required to enter the premises, shoot pictures of a business, advise the owners of a Drug Free Zone violation and exit the premises quickly.  BSEED inspectors are not interested in and have NO DESIRE to be concerned with how much marijuana that you have at your facility. During this time of litigation, BSEED will enter a place of business with the assistance of the Detroit Police Department because their only job is to make sure that the building is up to code.

Meanwhile, there are two separate lawsuits that were filed in Wayne County Circuit Court on the behalf of the business owners and concerned patients.  The first one was filed by the citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform (Case# 16-004185-AW Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform v Janice Winfrey, Detroit Election Commission, City of Detroit) that has 3 named defendants in: The City of Detroit, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey, and the Detroit Election Commission.  This suit is in regards to the filing of the petitions to allow the citizens of Detroit Michigan to vote on the ordinance that was implemented by the City Council in the August 2^nd, primary.  A large majority of Detroit residents signed petitions to halt the ordinance and develop a new one that is less restrictive on Detroit Business owners.  It seems that the current license and zoning ordinance was designed to benefit a few owners at the expense of other owners who are Detroit residents that want to be a part of a growing Marijuana industry.

The second lawsuit was filed by the Sons of Hemp, a Pro-Cannabis group of African American business owners who will be adversely affected by this new ordinance (Case No. 16-004201-CZ JONES, RONALD, ET AL. V THE CITY OF DETROIT). There are 10+ named plaintiffs who all own stores, and grow operations who want a voice and a place in the growing Marijuana industry.  Their hearing is scheduled on July 1^st, 2016 with Judge John Murphy of the 3^rd District Wayne County Circuit Court. This lawsuit addresses the inequities of the ordinance regarding African American business owners in Detroit who will be getting shut out of the market because of the ideology of the 1939 mandate of Harry Ainslinger, the first head of the Drug Enforcement Agency. This man promoted the current drug war on the back of Billie Holiday because he hated African Americans that played Jazz music and had any kind of talent. (The Hunting of Billie Holiday by the USA)

As the late University of Alabama football coach Bear Bryant put it when he found out he needed African Americans to win football games,

 “If you have a fast negro running the ball, you have to hire another negro to catch them”. 

In Billie Holiday’s case, Harry Ainslinger hired his first black agent Jimmy Fletcher to specifically take down Ms. Holiday.  Quoting the article 

"Jimmy Fletcher follows her around for two years, and she was so amazing, he fell in love with her. And he felt ashamed his whole life for what he did. He busts her. She’s sent to prison. The trial—she said, "The trial was called The United States v. Billie Holiday, and that’s how it felt."  

"And when she gets out, exactly what happens to addicts all over the United States today happens—what’s happened to those women I met in Arizona: She can’t get a job. You needed a license to be able to perform anywhere where alcohol was sold, and they wouldn’t give her the license. So, you know, her friend Yolande Bavan said to me, "What’s the cruelest thing you can do to a person is to take away the thing they love." She sinks back into addiction."

In 2016 we have a few African American pastors who use this same ideology to eliminate the business owned by African Americans by continuing to promote the sick and racist policy of Harry Ainslinger’s DEA.  Marijuana is a 1 billion dollar a year industry to states like Colorado, Oregon, Washington State, and so on. Less that 1% of Marijuana business are owned by African Americans.  

Everyone wants a level playing field and there are so many uses of the Marijuana plant that the time has come to get real and end this drug war on the people with the lack of resources to fight. We simply cannot support a policy of putting more men in jail that creates a shortage of males and allow some females to have a bigger selection of partners to pick from. This policy is counterproductive and supports a for profit prison system that gets its revenue from failing children in schools that have been looted by private profiteers.  The current situation with public education everywhere indicates that money is being diverted into the for profit prison system building new jails and tearing down public schools.

This must stop at once and, If you are a interested in becoming a plaintiff please contact the following sources;

Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform   Attorney Kevin Lynn (248) 693-2300

Sons of Hemp:  Ronald Jones  sonsofhemp420@gmail.com

1,2,3,4. It’s time to end the Drug War.

Detroit's Marijuana Ordinance Placed on Hold until April 13th, 2016

By Richard C. Clement
      Marijuana Policy Analyst

On Friday April 1^st 2016, Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Daphnie Means Curtis signed a Temporary Restraining Order requested by Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform (CSCR), halting the implementation of Ordinances to Zone and Licenses Medical Marijuana Care Centers in the City of Detroit until April 13^th at 8:30am.  The granting of this order means that both ordinances are suspended and cannot be enforced on ANY facility within the City of Detroit.  Building Safety (BSEED), Detroit Police and Fire Departments are prohibited from taking any adverse action based on any ordinance violation.  While City officials have been very courteous, MMCC Owners are directed to record any badge number of any City Official that stops by during this time period to enforce this ordinance.

At issue is the development of an ordinance without the true input of the owners of Medical Marijuana Caregiver Centers.  MMCC businesses on Woodward Avenue are doing better than the Palmer Park Golf Course and the empty Perfecting Church on Woodward and Seven Mile combined. If citizens can go to a Walgreens and, CVS drive through to get their medicine, then equal opportunity shall be afforded to MMCC businesses also. The State of Colorado has made over 1 billion dollars revenue from the Marijuana industry with half of the population of Michigan.  

This is a large amount of money that cannot be ignored, especially for a City that needs all the help we can get. Therefore CSCR feels that the citizens should decide this issue at the ballot box on August 2^nd, 2016.  

This will allow all stakeholders to develop a sensible ordinance that will be acceptable to all and, contribute to the quality of life in a truly democratic process.

Message to Detroit Marijuana Business Owners for April 1st, 2016 and Beyond.

by Richard  C. Clement
     Marijuana Policy Analyst

                The City of Detroit’s Medical Marijuana Ordinance goes into effect April 1^st, 2016. If you are interested in owning a Marijuana based property in the city we strongly encourage you to apply ASAP by April 1^st,  2016 (click here to apply for a marijuana license today!) on the City of Detroit Website. Make sure to upload site plans and if you do not have them, make sure you apply anyway to preserve your right to appeal or sue in a court of law.

If you are open after this date, you can remain open until you get a Court Order from 36^th District Court, from a Court Bailiff, signed by a Judge, compelling you to cease and desist operations. At that time your legal counsel will file an objection and go to court to prove you are not a public nuisance. The possession of medible Marijuana in Wayne County Michigan will not be prosecuted by any employee of the Wayne County Prosecutors Office under the excellent leadership of Ms. Kym Worthy who has limited resources and  overworked staff.

A team from Building Safety Engineering (BSEED), Detroit Police Department, and Fire Department will inspect your property to determine the eligibility of your location. If you feel that these ordinances do not meet your needs, or you feel that this ordinance was written to benefit a few select owners, you are strongly encouraged to write one on your own. 

You should work with organizations that have Detroit residents’ interests at heart and, are determined to make the marijuana business a viable business option for persons who are interested in pursuing a career in the growing Marijuana Industry.  

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the office.

CUSHingberry Pushes for Language Accesiblity Plan to Close The Translation Gap

by Richard C. Clement



The Legislative Policy Division (LPD) has been requested by Council President Pro-Tempore George Cushingberry, Jr. to provide a report on how the City of Detroit (City) might go about developing and financing a comprehensive Language Accessibility Plan (LAP) that could be employed by all City departments that must interface with a City population that is becoming more and more culturally diverse.

Given the changing dynamics and population of our city that does not speak English as their native language, communication between each other is quickly becoming quite complex. Therefore the ability to communicate with each other becomes a life or death matter in some cases.

Councilmember Pro-Tem Cushingberry Jr. is committed to bridge the language gap among Detroit residents. He is very excited about the possibilities of the City being able to communicate with each other, no matter what language you speak and understand.

Some of the possibilities are using software hosted on a cell phone that will hear and translate a spoken words to a selected language.  Other possibilities are using the resources of the Dominican Literacy Project to consult in the development of a cross language table to associate one word to another word in a different language and vice versa.

Pro Tem Cushingberry is confident in the Legislative Policy Division in that they will do an excellent job on gathering information and doing the research.

Pushing with CUSHingberry to Provide Afforable Water to Detroit Residents

by Friends of Cushingberry

The Water Residential Assistance Program (WRAP) launching March 1, will provide qualifying customers at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty threshold, with help in paying current and past-due water bills. WRAP is a Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA) regional program offered in several counties including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb. The program will be administered through the Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency in Detroit.

Eligible DWSD customers will receive a $25 monthly bill credit with any arrearages frozen for 12 months. Customers who successfully make their monthly payments for one year will receive an additional credit of up to $700 applied toward their arrears.

In addition, qualifying residents with water usage exceeding 20 percent of the average household water consumption in the city, are eligible for a free home water conservation audit. Based on the audit, customers may receive up to an additional $1,000 for minor household plumbing repairs. 

Participants may continue in the program for up to 24 months but must reapply annually.

The terms of the program which were recently approved by the GLWA board, will provide Detroit residents with approximately $1.5 million of the $4.5 million allocated for 126 municipalities in seven southeast Michigan counties. Approximately 44,000 of Detroit’s 175,000 residential water accounts are on a payment plan, up from 9,000 a year ago. Residents on the plan are not subject to shutoff.

To apply for the WRAP, residents may call Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency (on or after March 1) at 313.386.WRAP (9727) or visit the website at www.waynemetro.org/wrap

State Reps Introduce Bill 5445 to Eliminate Local Marijuana Ordinances

By Richard C. Clement
      Marijuana Policy Analyst

        Today State Rep. Leslie Love(D), Wendel Byrd(D), and Latanya Garrett(D) introduced House Bill #5445 changing the Michigan Medical Marijuana Law to prevent citizens in Cities and Townships from enacting referendums and petitions to modify local marijuana ordinances.  This bill was introduced to stop the referendum that was filed by the Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform to place the two Marijuana Ordinances on the August 2nd, 2016 ballot in the City of Detroit.

        This bill will be a prototype for every City and Township in the State of Michigan regardless of the feelings of the citizens. Raids like the ones in Gaylord MI and the seizing of medibles will become the normal course of business for every city and township in Michigan.

         Rep. Love is hoping to fast-track this legislation with the help of Republicans for a coveted signature from Governor Rick Snyder in 90 days.  If this is signed into law, then all Cities and Townships will have their ordinances null and voided. A citizens rights to address your government and get redress of your grievances will be eliminated.  If you have any comments on this bill please click on the names to let them know how you feel.

PDF Copy of HB 5445

Contact State Rep Leslie Love

Office Address  S-689 House Office Building

Mailing Address

P.O. Box 30014  

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

Phone: (517) 373-0857   Toll-Free: (855) 568-3010

Email:  leslielove@house.mi.gov

Detroit Marijuana Ordinance Placed Under Suspension by Citizens Group

By Richard C. Clement

      Marijuana Policy Analyst

A group by the name of Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform (CSCR) has informed the Detroit City Council that they will file a lawsuit to suspend the full implementation of the Detroit Marijuana Zoning and License Ordinance until August 2^nd, 2016 or, until the Ordinance is re-written in a fair and equitable manner. The group has already filed date stamped petitions with the Detroit City Clerk before the implementation date and time of March 1^st, 2016 at 9:00am EST.

Woodward Ave
Cana-Business Owners Assn.

If the ordinance stands as is, 95% of all available business parcels will be made unavailable for use as a Marijuana Caregiver Center. This will adversely affect businesses owned by Detroit residents that want to give back to the neighborhoods.  Other organizations such as The Sons of Hemp, an African American Cannabis Chamber Commerce group, have chimed in their support because 100% of their businesses will be closed down. CSCR wants to develop and ordinance that is fair and equitable to everyone regardless of someone’s ethnic background or felony convictions.  If we are truly a society that believes in giving people second chances, then it is time to put it into practice.

If you still have an interest in becoming a marijuana business owner, we strongly recommend that you apply for the license online using the City of Detroit website (click here to apply) and, apply for your license today. Go directly to the application and enter your information for the official record. Ignore the radial search feature and just enter your information in the required fields on the application.  Everyone who applies has the right to a hearing and, you are welcome to bring representation.   The fees have been disabled and we are welcoming comment from the public to make the system even better.

We want to acknowledge the fine work that our Department of Innovation Technology(DoIT) has put in to allow people to apply for a license using the City of Detroit’s Website. A great big shout out goes out to the Information Technology Staff lead by Chief Information Officer Beth Niblock and, DoIT Director Charles Dodd for their leadership in developing a true Marijuana Information System for the City of Detroit.

City Attorney Butch Hollowell will argue for the Council that the filings were not in a timely manner and the ordinance is in full effect. Legal representatives of CSCR produce evidence and, will argue that the filing was timely. During this time period the law prevents the ordinance from being enforced until a vote is taken of the people on August 2^nd, 2016.  There will be NO penalty for remaining open and applying for a license during this time period.  This includes the edibles, medibles, concentrates and other products made from the plant. 

For example, at Eastern Market in Shed #2, toasted hemp is available for sale to the public. They taste just like sunflower seeds and I highly recommend that you try it.  Until then carry on with your normal course of business and, make sure you show up in August to let your voice be your vote, instead of wearing out your throat.