How to Open a Marijuana Care Center in the City of Detroit – State of the Bud Report

By Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst

       Starting a Medical Marijuana Business in Detroit has been made much easier because of the work of CIO Beth Niblock and Department of Innovation Technology Director Chuck Dodd. Detroit is leading the way in Information Technology in the State of Michigan. The City of Detroit is the ONLY municipality in State and Local Government that has a true Marijuana Information System that can handle documents including pictures in *.jpg format.   

To start a Marijuana based business in Detroit you must follow these steps:

1. Begin 

2. Find a legal* location and; purchase the building or, pay rent to the owner of the property. 

3.  Fill out a Marihuana Application on the City of Detroit’s website

               a.       If you are approved then you can pay your $1160 fee by clicking here

4.  Fill out a Building Permit Application on the City of Detroit’s website 

5.  Fill out a Board of Zoning Appeals

               a.      If approved pay $1200 by clicking here then skip to step 6

               b.      If Denied then for $1500 dollars you can appeal your BSEED denial
                                        i.      If denied appeal to the Wayne County Circuit court and skip to step 6.

6.      Apply for a Business License Application (under construction as of 4/13/2016)

7.      End.

The Cost of Doing Business With Marijuana in the City of Detroit
Site Plan Review (Due Upon Filing)	$160
Conditional Land Use Hearing (Due Upon Filing)	$1000
Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing(s)	$1200  Variance $1500  BSEED Denial (if necessary)
Building Permit or Change of Use:  Based on the cost of the construction.	$150  Minimum
Business License Application	To Be Developed

From Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones:

Council President
Brenda Jones

“At this time no one has been granted a license to operate and no zoning variances have been granted. 66% of the current applicants do not live in the City of Detroit. Out of the 195 applications 74 of them are in drug-free zones. The City Assessors office is currently conducting real time analysis to confirm the validity of the current drug free zones.”

While the Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform withdrew their lawsuit (Case# 16-004185-AW Citizens for Sensible Cannabis Reform v Janice Winfrey, Detroit Election Commission, City of Detroit), the Sons of Hemp has filed another one against the Detroit’s Marijuana ordinance (Case No. 16-004201-CZ JONES, RONALD, ET AL. V THE CITY OF DETROIT). This is a group of homegrown longtime Detroit residents who own businesses that are severely impacted by this ordinance. They position is that this ordinance discriminates against native Detroit residents of color and the religious beliefs of their membership. With help from the Wayne County Circuit Court, this ordinance could be modified to remove some of the most heinous restrictions like being 1000 feet from an empty church and, a money losing golf course for example.

Another restriction is the rule of Medible Marijuana that allows haters of Detroit to promote the idea that people will be getting their doors kicked in because of brownies and medicated butter on Grits or Hash Browns, Eggs with Toast and a Sausage.  This is a provision in the ordinance that can be eliminated because the people promoting this idea have stockpiled their Medible Marijuana in places like Allen Park and Ferndale and use this to drive business to their locations by bashing the City leadership and its residents.  

Johnson Recreation Center
Closed

Some of the churches and day care centers listed in the City’s database do not exist and in District 2, the long closed Johnson Recreation Center on Cherrylawn and Chippewa, and the School next to the rec center is being used to shut down marijuana businesses on 8 Mile Road.  Owners of these businesses are strongly urged to appeal this to the Board of Zoning and Wayne County Circuit Court.  Shutting down businesses on bad data is a bad deal for everyone because it is removing taxpaying businesses unfairly and without malice.

No injunction has been granted as of yet however and, the City is currently taking applications for Marijuana Caregiver Centers.  Potential owners must have a site plan and $1160 dollars down to reserve your location within City Limits.

If your potential property is located on the border in the City of Detroit, and schools in parks are across the street from your location in another city, (Warren, Ferndale, Dearborn, Grosse Pointe (all), Redford, et al) their property has no bearing on your City of Detroit application. Meanwhile court proceedings will address the challenges by owners and, BSEED inspections will continue. 

Warren Evans Wants YOU to Work for Wayne County With 100 Positions Available

By Richard C. Clement


From the Desk of  County Executive Warren C. Evans.

Warren C. Evans
Wayne County Executive 

If you’d like a job delivering good government services to Wayne County residents, County Executive Warren C. Evans is looking for you!

"Wayne County needs to fill at least 100 positions in several departments including Sheriff's Office"

“I’ve dedicated my career to public service in Wayne County and have personally found it to be a rewarding experience,” said Executive Evans. “I encourage anyone in search of a gratifying career to check out the positions we have available.” Some of the 100 positions are full time, some are part time, and others are temporary -- like the court officers and jail officers needed.  The county also has openings for jail services psychiatrists and senior psychologists. 

Wayne County is also trying to hire to fill many other positions including:

·  ACCOUNT CLERK

·  ADMINISTRATOR OF JAIL MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES

·  CO-OPERATIVE ENGINEER

·  CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST

·  ELECTRICIAN

·  ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN

·  FINANCE MANAGER

·  FOSTER CARE MANAGER

·  GIS MANAGER

·  HEALTH SPECIALIST

·  HEALTH SUPERVISOR

·  IT MANAGER (COUNTY CLERK)

·  JUVENILE DETENTION FACILITY DIRECTOR

·  JUVENILE DETENTION SPECIALIST

·  LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSE

·  MECHANIC (EQUIPMENT REPAIR SPECIALIST)

·  PARALEGAL (CIVIL)

·  POLICE OFFICER

·  POLICE OFFICER -- PART-TIME

·  PSYCHIATRIST - JAIL SERVICES

·  PSYCHIATRIST (PART-TIME)

·  PSYCHOLOGIST

·  PUBLIC SERVICE MAINTENANCE WORKER

·  REGISTERED NURSE 1

·  SENIOR AUDIO TECHNICIAN

·  SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST

·  TYPIST

·  WEBSITE DEVELOPER

Pro-Tem Cush Supports Rainbow PUSH Jobs Opportunity Fair at the Northwest Activities Center on May 13, 2016

By Richard Clement

 

Mayor Mike Duggan and Rev Jesse Jackson along with Detroit’s faith based community will hosting a Job Opportunity Fair May 13^th, at the Northwest Activities Center on 18100 Meyers Road from 1 to 4 pm. The purpose of this event is to increase the number of minority owned firms participation in City of Detroit home demolition contracts.  

The City has received $130 million through its Hardest Hit Fund to take down blighted structures in the neighborhood and, was pleased to find out that an additional $41.9 million for additional demolition. By participating in this fair, prospective contractors are encouraged to get certified with the City and, network with and others who have the equipment, licensing and bidding information to connect them with other companies who are in the demolition business.

This fair is a collaboration with The Detroit Land Bank Authority, Michigan Minority Contractors Association, and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition 4335 W Fort St, Detroit, MI 48209 Phone:(313) 963-9005.

To register for this fair please click here and fill in your information.

For a full overview please go to this webpage: www.detroitmi.gov/demolition

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.