Question for Chief: What is your perspective on this?
Chief McKee spoke with chief in Walled Lake – no uptick in crime
But only takes one robbery or murder to cause problem
Traffic – is a big problem; will have parking issues, residents will have issues w/ traffic
Police will have to respond to these problems
LV location is unique – 2 express ways; easy to commit crime and get away
Drugged driving – no cases yet but he notices smells in the area since MJ has been legalized.
Odor of marijuana is a question and problem
Are we doing a lot of pullovers or arrests currently? No.
We don’t have testing capaibilty to make proper arrests; b/c THC doesn’t stay in system long enough and we don’t have testing ability.
Having a facility – does it increase potential for drugged driving? Per Chief, can’t really answer b/c hard to say.
Ian states no pullovers for marijuana use in other cities
Question: will allowing MJ businesses cause increased time and work for city? Chief thinks so.
Dawn – we need to think of potential parking solutions; where we would allow businesses to locate.
Dawn – special use tax to go towards parking enforcement
We talked about parking options and where would be put parking?
Church and daycare – don’t want to put by there
Security – wants access to security plans
Don E – committee – did we talk to cities that opted out? We did talk to Berkley and Southfield
Will MJ in the city cause issues related to prostitution, minors smoking MJ and those kind of issues? Other cities have not seen that in Michigan. Don stated that this has occurred in cities in Colorado.
Chief agrees – he does think teen drug use will increase overall in the city.
Don E – MJ driving arrests have gone up in 2018 due to drug driving. In CO.
Summary of Interview with Chief, Walled Lake
Observations:
Don’t reinvent the wheel. Look at other cities and copy their successes.
Started with medical 2009-2010. City was approached by long term business in the city to open.
Had a few law suites, but worked through them as a city.
Dispensary in the city:
They had 3-medical dispensaries.
Currently, “Lume” was a complete teardown (new building). City Council demanded new building, sewer, and infrastructure. “Bizazo’s” was a rehabbed building.
Crime:
Since the businesses opened in Walled Lake, 1-phone call (anonymous threat), and 1-customer refused to pay. In total, 2-police issues in 4 ½ years.
No up-tick in crime. No incidents related to MJ (traffic violations, etc.)
Resident voted as follows:
72% in favor of medical MJ
63% in favor of recreational MJ.
City Issues:
Parking – increased traffic that creates limited parking
Selection Process:
19 application for 3-licenses.
Very particular about the selection process.
Demographics:
Middle aged, older people. Upper middle class.
Doing curb-side pick up averaging $200 per car, and 500 cars per day during Covid-19. Prior to Covid-19, 300 cars per day, averaging $200 per car.
Summary of Interview with Chief, Hazel Park
Observations: Did not like the idea in the beginning. Thought there would be major issues on the onset, but overall, no issue related to the MJ business Dispensary in the city: Breeze, and several others (Hayat Labs) Crime:
No issues with crime.
Dispensaries have their own security, and surveillance system
Resident voted as follows:
Mayor confirmed numbers in Hazel Park
City Issues:
Increased traffic that creates limited parking, but not a problem
Demographics:
Mostly out of state customers at dispensaries.
Summary of Interview with Security Expert
Retired secret service officer Former Director of Security at Chrysler and American Axle See CV Has implemented marijuana security systems for multiple MJ businesses. Over 100 security plans in multiple states
Issues:
Applicant should be prepared to go to the highest level of security. Lathrup Village can require training in the event of armed robbery, power outage, hold up, medical emergency.
Policies and procedures should be put in place
Video surveillance should be required beyond state requirements
Background checks should be conducted on all employees
What are the biggest issues that might occur?
Holdups
Breaking and Entering
To prevent either, encourage the local police to drive by and be seen.
Owner of provisioning center should be a great corporate citizen.
Some restrictions (can or cannot do by law).
Physical Protection
Cameras, alarms, monitors, panic alarms. Lathrup Village should require 360-degree coverage of surveillance cameras. Depending on location of the provisioning center, video should be able to pick up street traffic and any activity close by for extended security.
Floor plans should be made available to police and dispatch
Invite local police and fire to tour
Recommendations
Draft strong ordinances – review other cities
Has not seen a lot of crime in the industry but still must maintain security
Take a good look at applicants (are they reputable)? What have they done outside of MJ business?
Don’t’ reinvent the wheel when adopting ordinances. Cut and paste from other cities, and review to adjust.
Interview with Medical Expert
A Certified Hospice and Palliative Care Registered Nurse, Regional Service Ops Manager for one of the nation’s largest hospice programs. With more than twenty years’ experience in health care she is a nationally-respected speaker, educator, and leader in the field of end-of-life care and an expert on medical cannabis. She serves as an educational resource for physicians, staff & community agencies. Founder/principal of a cannabis consulting business specializing in cannabis information. An accomplished author
Medical Health Perspective
I hope this email finds you well. I conducted a literature review of research addressing the influence of legalized cannabis on teen cannabis use. In this review I found that there is research that supports a decrease in teen engagement with cannabis. One of the studies I reviewed was the Youth Risk Behavior Surveys which indicate that policy-makers are particularly concerned that legalization for either medicinal or recreational purposes will encourage marijuana use among youth. Association of Marijuana Laws With Teen Marijuana Usestudyreviled thatconsistent with the results of previous researchers,2 there was no evidence that the legalization of medical marijuana encourages marijuana use among youth. I ask that you bring this up: currently under the MMMA 2008 it is legal to grow cannabis for up to 5 people including yourself. This cannabis does not have to be tested. This cannabis is not regulated in anyway other than registering yourself as a grower or patient with the state. The police nor the state check on these caregivers or patients unless they are caught breaking the law. These are the people that sell their overages to the children or anyone else that will buy it. Currently, caregivers are allowed to sell their products to the retail stores but that all ends in October this year. Part of the reason they have allowed the caregiver products is because the licensed facilities were not up an operational. You can see in this article the reason that they want to end caregiver product in licensed cannabis facilities is that it is not regulated and because of the harm it might cause to the people consuming it. In this article I want to point out without the regulated market requiring testing for a pure consistent product for consumers this tainted product could have caused harm if not death to a consumer. Only with a regulated market can you ensure people can obtain a safe product. In healthcare we have found that most of the people would prefer to purchase their cannabis at a regulated legal store that has tested product instead of on the black market. When you have a regulated market similar to liquor licensing, the owners of the cannabis business have to pay an annual license to the state as well as the local city or township they are in. Just like a liquor license they can and will lose their cannabis license if they sell to a minor under age 21. If a minor is approved for a medical cannabis card there are 2 doctors that have to certify the child and only the parent can enter the store to purchase the product. On the black market there is not an age limit they will sell to whoever has the money to buy it and they are often not concerned with the ingredients that they use to create the products. That is how we had the vaping crisis the black market using vitamin E to make the product. They were not regulated. If they would have been in a legal market they would have failed the state required tests and the product would never have been allowed on the shelf for sale. There are real patients, especially at the end of their life, that use cannabis. We have over 70% of our hospice pediatric patients that consume cannabis. If I were a parent and my child were dying I would probably do the same thing out of desperation. However, those children and parents deserve to have a product that is regulated, pure, consistent, and most of all safe for them to take, they cannot get that on the black market. Let’s not forget to mention that cannabis is in Lathrup Village right now being sold on the black market. You have the opportunity to keep your residents safe by making a regulated market that has to follow strict laws. This will decrease the black market because the people will go to the legal store to get lab teste, labeled, pure, consistent products instead of the black market where it is buyer beware. In addition you have the opportunity to add to the rules you create, just like Pontiac you can include additional requirements for your applicants. Just to make you aware there are state approved licensed vocational schools, colleges and universities to offer cannabis industry training/education you could make taking a state approved school a requirement for your licensed applicants.
Please let me know what else I can do to help.
Questions for Business Lawyer
Sole Practitioner: Legal Counsel for Business A speaker at one of our study sessions, business & R/E attorney since 1997. Started his own firm in r/e law. Then has been entrepreneur and then got back into retail law. Medical marijuana laws (MFLA) triggered him to go into cannabis law in 2016. Joined cannabis legal group in 2017. Attended town halls, running town halls, worked with communities with ordinance development – AA. AA – did a lot of study sessions and helped them. Had an exploratory committee. Also worked with Benton Harbor and their city council on MFLA. Continued with other communities – Niles, Bay City. Provided ordinances. Has presented out council meetings. Now working with licensees – fully licensed in UP. Left Cannabis legal group in 2018 and now has his own firm and has been very successful getting licenses for this clients from cities. Has good access with state of MI. He’s able to provide solutions to problems. Has presented and hired by the city of Royal Oak. Presented with chief of police. Did presentation and Q&A. Has had private meetings with mayors of other towns.
What is best for your town? Will look at this question. Redevelopment? Not interested? A couple of stores? Use this to help draft ordinances.
Adrian – invite the industry to invest but have good regulations. He suggests we talk with them. He says Pontiac is “shitshow”. Not a great environment; very disfunctional.
Hazel Park & MH – diff environment; HP – good, sound ordinance but didn’t put in a scoring system which ultimately lead to lawsuits. MH – good oridance and had a scoring system that was conveyed in advance. Had a third party do the scoring and had a definitive timeline to submit apps and decision had a timing.
HP – they are further along b/c have 2 top producing stores (even with those lawsuit issues). Study session – HP said they were reviewing apps publicly – in study sessions. Also Saturday morning meetings where final decisions were made. Everything was public. Westland – very impressive; deliberative; everything is public. Easy to find. 16 study sessions.
Application is clear
Scoring is clear
Now will they execute?
MH – did not have open meetings; did things privately.
Either way can work but must let everyone know your process.
Warren – did not do in a good way.
Pontiac – assign 3rd party – accountant – to do scoring. Good idea but they haven’t followed through.
Petoskey – several study sessions. Lots of opposition. Did good discussions, decided to do a lottery system, but also had a scoring system. Drafted an ordinance. But opposition started a petition. Voted to make it that adult use mj had to be approved by residents.
Bangor (near Saginaw?) – capitalist – why not let retailers open store? So pretty open. $155K in one day accepting applications. There’s like 40-60 approved licenses. Charged $5k for medical. Now would be $5 for med and $5 for rec.
Grow – not for LV Lab – maybe Transportation – maybe Stores – yes would make sense
We have phone numbers for Petoskey and Adrian city managers & city attorneys.
Transportation business – vans and trucks don’t have to be big. Size of flower bags is small and other product size is small. Trucks should pick up and deliver quickly. Should not be holding product for long. Should be parked empty. Testing – need more testers; not enough to do the work overall in state right now.