ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story, it is an editorial by the editor.
“…Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand
For the times they are a’ changin’!” — Bob Dylan
Too many local offici
als in northeast Allegan County are still copping horse and buggy attitudes about marijuana, and the consequences may be economic in the not too far distant future.
There are too many people in local government and in Lansing who continue to complain about the noise while opportunity is knocking. And they continue to use long debunked and worn out reasons for stonewalling the apparent growing will of the people.
It has become apparent in the wake of the law signed by Gov. Rick Snyder last month. Local governments now will have the power to approve or reject local dispensaries of medical marijuana. Kirk Scharphorn of Professional Code Inspections of Dorr has dutifully provided a cooked down explanation of the new law for at least three jurisdictions, greeted by a lot of old, wrong-headed, fuddy-duddy thinking by people who otherwise are reasonable and rational.
Full disclosure: I smoked marijuana in the late 1960s, did not suffer from “brain chromosome damage” and quit 45 years ago only because of fears of being arrested. At the time I was using, I came to the dangerous, but correct conclusion that I had been lied to about marijuana by just about everybody except fellow pot smokers. It’s a good thing I didn’t move on to other drugs.
Since then I have neither seen nor heard anything that could possibly change my mind that marijuana is a far less dangerous substance than alcohol, or for that matter, many prescription pills that are legal.
Yet pot remains as a schedule one drug, meaning the federal DEA regards it as just as bad as heroin. cocaine and meth, which is absolutely ludicrous. It gives credence to the notion that the principle reason marijuana has been wrongfully banned all these years is — follow the money. The sturdiest opponents of legalizing pot are drug warriors and prison industry, who would lose their jobs; the alcohol and pharmaceutical industries, which would lose customers, and the illegal drug trade, which would face stiff competition to cut into their profits.
About 63 percent of voters in Michigan approved legalization of medicinal marijuana in 2008, but the State Legislature made sure it would be difficult to implement the program with cumbersome and unrealistic rules. Just a few years later, five states, including Colorado, have legalized weed even for recreational use. And the sky has not fallen.
The move in Colorado has been so wildly successful that the state is getting more tax revenue from selling pot than selling booze. The crime rate has not gone up in the three years the new law has been in force. And proceeds from pot sales revenue now are being used to help the homeless.
So I am embarrassed to hear old fiddle-faddle “Reefer Madness” reactions from people who are ignorant and fearful about marijuana when they are presented with opportunities to permit and regulate dispensaries that will bring added money in their local coffers.
Martin Township booted out a marijuana exchange business in Shelbyville. I hear tell Hopkins and Wayland townships don’t want anything to do with such new-fangled businesses. And the City of Wayland Planning Commission Tuesday night parroted a lot of the same old hooey in opposition. We lost the War on Drugs a long time ago because we couldn’t let go of ancient fear-mongering myths
Though Charles Darwin is a pariah in some religious circles, I’ve always admired his wisdom in telling us it isn’t the smartest nor the strongest who will survive in the future — it is the one best able to adapt to changing conditions.
Consider yourselves warned.
Your a marijuana user……….Now it makes sense to me……………
I think you wanted to use the contraction, not the possessive form. Have you been smoking anything, John?
As chairperson of the Wayland Planning Commission I see it as my responsibility to defend the Planning Commission when it is wrongly portrayed in the media. The editorial made some over-generalizations that do not reflect accurately on what transpired at the meeting. The planning commission did not “parrot” opposition. In fact the planning commission made the prudent step of not expressing an official opinion at all and opted to wait until the city council, who has yet to be briefed on recent marijuana legislation, to give us direction to even consider drafting any ordinance change or weigh in on the matter in general.
It is true that two members did express personal opinions. One did voice some opposition. Yet one member spoke very favorably in support of the idea, particularly in terms of bringing money into “local coffers.” But the editorial chose NOT to report on that. That would have shown the planning commission as potentially balanced on the issue and not serve the reporters intent to lambaste the planning commission and group them into other governing bodies that he sees as non-progressive on this issue. In addition, it should be noted that two of our members were not even present. And of the three other members present, none rendered an opinion either for or against potentially allowing marijuana facilities to operate in the city of Wayland. That makes it even less credible for the article to stereotyped the planning commission as a cohesive bunch of good for nothing old-fashion officials who are “ignorant and fearful.” That quite frankly is downright insulting.
As always, I encourage Wayland citizens to attend planning commission meetings (second Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at city hall) when they can both to stay engaged with issues as well as to know firsthand what actual transpires.
J.D. Gonzales
Mr Gonzales,
Thank you very much for the clarification. It amazes me how a member of the audience hears something different than what was said. Media quite often will put their spin on it to attract attention (better known as drive by media). In addition maybe one was under the influence of marijuana and didn’t comprehend what was being said. Just a thought.
John
“Don’t bogart that joint my friend, pass it over to me”… the author’s theme song when he was a hippie in the 60’s! I figured Dave wanted to be in a Cheech and Chong movie, now I know.
Really, we are writing about this… if all you wanted is the revenue, why not just open up a house of ill repute? When will that become legal like in Nevada? It brings in huge amounts of revenue.
We’d rather get young people (18 and over) hooked on a “high” that usually leads to bigger things? And don’t argue it doesn’t. There is too much evidence to the contrary. Pot is the gateway drug.
Why do you need that when Allegan County is the meth capital of MI? You could probably buy some in the high schools if you need a fast fix.