The marijuana issue was back at Thursday evening’s Watson Township Board meeting.
This time attorney Brant Johnson of Lansing, representing a legal caregiver in the Martin area, made a presentation about the local planning commission and board perhaps adopting an ordinance permitting medical marijuana dispensaries. The bill passed by the State Legislature and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder last fall allows local governments to permit or deny such facilities within their jurisdictions.
Medical marijuana is legal for caregivers who can grow the plants and provide marijuana to up to six patients with appropriate cards.
Johnson, who provided a sample ordinance, told board members the new law, “allows people to come out from the shadows and let you know who they are… it’s intended to reduce criminal activity” because monitoring and enforcing the law passed by voters statewide in 2008 is difficult.
Johnson, speaking on behalf of caregiver Thomas Bergman, is not the first to ask Watson to adopt an ordinance permitting a dispensary. Eric Pierce of Hopkins Township, in partnership in the Circle G Corp. with James Graczyk of Hopkins Township and Matt VanVolkinburg of Martin approached the board several months ago about adopting an ordinance, but the board voted 3-2 last month not to pursue it. Trustees Chuck Andrysiak and Michelle Harris and Clerk Kelli Morris were in the majority and Supervisor Kevin Travis and Treasurer Sue Jones dissented.
The board balked at the idea because of a wish not to be the first in the experiment as a result of the new legislation and the substance still is not legal in the eyes of the federal government.
Johnson said there are 2,135 registered marijuana patients in Allegan County and 435 caregivers and suggested there is a high probability some live in Watson Township. He also suggested the use of marijuana will increase, not decline in the coming years.
He explained that dispensaries have to follow rules and provide site, floor, security and business plans. He said dispensaries would have to pay the township fees annually just to exist and could have to pick up any expenses in the startup process. A fee of up to $5,000 would be applied to each applicant.
The township would get 25% of 3% of sales revenue and would receive taxes on the property and facility in industrial and agricultural zones.
He also maintained a dispensary should be viewed as a strictly regulated business.
“This is a real industry,” he said. “Enterprising people would like to participate in it.”
Legal marijuana sales totaled $5.4 billion in the United States in 2015.
He further asserted, “Constituents are getting this product from somewhere. This gives you the opportunity to monitor and control it.”
Bergman, a graduate of Martin High School, told the board he first tried to present his dispensary idea to Wayland Township, but was rebuffed. However, a marijuana exchange service exists in Orangeville Township and there are a number of dispensaries already being proposed all over West Michigan.
The Township Board took no action, but Johnson left materials for members to study, including the draft ordinance.
PHOTO: Brant Johnson
