Vote YES twice on November 7th 2017 for Sensible Marijuana Laws in the City of Detroit

By Richard C. Clement - Marijuana Policy Analyst

On Nov 7^th, 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 1^st 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.

Richard C. Clement with the owners of the House of Zen 14501 Mack Ave, Detroit, MI 48215

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 21^st 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.