ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” article. It is an editorial by the editor.
I still resolutely urge the Wayland City Council to permit the sale and distribution of the now legal product marijuana within the city limits.
The council and City Manager Josh Eggleston have indicated they plan to formulate policy on this issue soon and I continue to support allowing a local business to sell it under guidelines approved by the city.
Just how pro-business does the city want to be?
About eight months ago, I suggested the council honor the “Rios Rule” in which Dorr Township Trustee Terri Rios argued that because 57% of township voters opposed the state-wide proposal last November to legalize recreational marijuana, it should be forbidden to be bought or sold locally. She said it was a matter of honoring the wishes of Dorr Township voters, regardless of the state-wide results, which showed 56% approval.
That same election last year showed that 58% of voters in the City of Wayland approved the proposal. So conversely, the City Council should allow the substance to be bought, sold and regulated in town, at least at one location.
Some City Council members already have indicated they won’t approve, but by doing so they are imposing their own personal morality against the majority of their constituents. Such actions are futile. It’s bad public policy for officials to insist everybody else live by their personal moral rules, yet a majority don’t agree.
The knee-jerk reaction from Dorr, Watson, Leighton and Martin officials in the wake of the state-wide ballot proposal legalizing marijuana is based on their personal fears and being morally offended. It’s bad public policy because, as I have opined before, if you can’t legislate… regulate.
Marijuana will be bought and sold regardless of what City Council members think about having it done within the city. If it is not permitted here, then those who want it will go elsewhere to get it, or even worse, they’ll obtain the substance under the table to keep alive the previously robust black market. It would be much better to have it bought and sold in a public place, regulated strictly in a way similar to rules governing alcohol.
Furthermore, permitting it would demonstrate a willingness to support a legal business in the community.
I also urge the City Council to ban public use of marijuana simply because citizens should not be subjected to smoke in the public arena. Therefore, just like in Colorado Springs, those who wish to use this legal product will be restricted to residences and properties where they have been granted permission.
Of course, use of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle should be illegal and regulated just like driving while under the influence of alcohol.
Horse and buggy thinking based on fear and loathing will do nothing to stop use of pot. Its Prohibition Era has ended.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Much of this editorial was written eight months ago, but it was updated because the city will decide on this matter soon.
Years ago I was at the Post Office in Moline and saw a sign advertising a meeting for Moline residents to get together and discuss what businesses they might add to what was left of the Moline business blocks. It went on to offer possible topics like light manufacturing, encouraging the bank to stay, meat processing / distribution and restaurants (NO ALCOHOL).
The same Luddite mindset is alive and well when it comes to the sale of marijuana products in Wayland. Wayland is becoming an edge city. New businesses are eschewing locating downtown and opting for the higher price real estate within a mile of US 131. Currently, despite the installation of antique style street lighting, downtown Wayland has seen more businesses converted to empty store fronts. Are more empty storefronts in downtown Wayland preferable to a tax paying, legal business?
Neither of these two government entities have any fore sight. They are locked into their personal feelings on controversial subjects. The State as a whole passed the issue, but the local units run with their personal feelings on the subject.
Doing so is limiting opportunity for many to invest in the industrial hemp market. It also keeps the street corner buying and selling marijuana alive and well.
Yes, these people would rather have their young buy who knows what in their parks, street corners, and parking lots…but they will never allow a legal marijuana operation in their areas.
Guess this makes sense……to all but me.
Mr. Smit
Harry,
I agree with you in a free enterprise Democracy make it illegal or allow it and tax it. By the way hemp fiber has been around for hundreds of years it makes poor rope and cloth, cotton and nylon are far superior. Very small market for hemp mostly folks who do not care about quality just what is currently trendy.
Army Bob
There are more uses to hemp than those you mentioned. If you recall they had a meeting on the subject in Wayland awhile ago.
There are States in the West and South that farming hemp is quite profitable..
Take the money and run…..
Hemp is not Pot, so please do not include them in the same conversation.
Commercial Pot typically has over 600 times the THC as legal Hemp.
A few more Hemp facts:
Hemp is 5 times more absorbent then Cotton.
Hemps can be recycled 9 times when used to make paper, wood pulp can only be used 3 times.
Hemp is the strongest natural fiber on earth.
Hemp is used in over 25,000 products worldwide and has been used for over 6,000 years.
Before the cotton industry combined their efforts with the tobacco industry to outlaw their competition, governments had put laws in place forcing farmers to plant a portion of their land in Hemp as it was so valuable.
Hemp cleans the soil, and is planted at Chernobyl to help mitigate the nuclear fallout from that disaster.
If interested in Hemp, find me and ask.