Sumpter marijuana committee to wrap up study by Jan. 17

On Dec. 6, a large crowd attended the second meeting of a Sumpter Township committee appointed to do fact-finding into the new Michigan Marijuana Facilities Licensing Act and prepare a packet of information for the township board.
Township Supervisor John Morgan had appointed the committee which was to meet on the first Wednesday of each month to gather information.
At this second meeting of the group, however, chairman Trustee Matthew Oddy announced that although Supervisor Morgan was not present, he has asked the committee to expedite its work and wrap up preparation of an information packet to the board by Jan. 17.
The committee was not asked to recommend a decision to the board for opting in or opting out of MMFLA, just to gather information.
Oddy set 6:30 p.m. meetings for Jan. 3, 10, and then the wrap-up on Jan. 17. According to its published schedule of meetings, the township board’s next meeting after that date would be Feb. 13.
Oddy directed Police Chief Eric Luke to come up with information on the impact to the police department, using his best guess at the number of facilities that might be approved. Chief Luke had said earlier that it’s hard to estimate the impact if he didn’t know how many facilities there might be in the township.
Oddy directed Fire Chief Joe Januziak to estimate the impact on the fire department, using his best guess.
He directed Ken Bednark and Deb Callison to put together the letters and communications that have come in from the community.
Oddy asked Trustee Sheena Barnes to work with Supervisor Morgan on estimating the administrative cost to the township, “a kind of a guess.”
Oddy directed township attorney Rob Young to check with neighboring communities on their decisions.
Young said he has exhausted that kind of information. He said Sumpter has to come up with the type, number, and location of facilities. He said it makes a lot of difference if the township has one facility or 30.
“It doesn’t make sense to me to make a lot of money and spend it all on enforcement,” Young said.
Young said they need proposals and an idea of what the facts are.
“We already had somebody propose 70,” Oddy said.
Young suggested Trustee Barnes could suggest how many facilities Sumpter could have.
“The state has taken the MMFLA regulations seriously, more than the MMMA,” Young said. “They created a very serious set of regulations. We have missing pieces.”
Oddy asked Barnes to bring a number by Jan. 6.
Oddy turned to planner Christopher Atkins and asked him to look into ordinances.
“There are lots of things to think about,” Atkins said. “Do we have the land? There are no ordinances out there yet. We have to figure out what zoning to put it into.”
Oddy said those communities who jumped into MMFLA eight months ago will be well on their way. A proposal on the number can estimate the impact.
“We need something to the board by Jan. 17,” Oddy said.
Young said he and Atkins could sit down with Trustee Barnes to work out some numbers, “some reality.”
Bednark asked where to direct the residents to send their comments and was told they could be mailed to the supervisor at the township hall or sent to [email protected] .
Deputy Supervisor Karen Armatis was sitting behind the committee members, taking notes for the absent supervisor.
At the first meeting of the committee in November, 15 minutes of public comment was allowed at the end of the meeting. At the Dec. 6 meeting, Oddy called for public comment at the beginning of the meeting from the large crowd. The meeting closed at 8:10 p.m., 25 minutes longer than had been planned because of all the comment from more than 13 speakers.
The first speakers complained about the smell of marijuana farms in their neighborhoods and worried if they would be able to sell their homes if the wind is blowing the wrong way when people come to look at the house.
“I don’t have a problem with growing,” she said. “But, I want it inside.”
Adrianne Slaughter said she was speaking for the Murray and Slaughter familes in support of medical marijuana which is good for people. She asked the township to opt into MMFLA, but said the families would support whatever the township decides.
She said in the 2.5 acres to the north of her home, the first year she smelled the marijuana growing, but over the next two years she could not longer smell it.
“I like smelling the dirt,” she said, noting in a controlled facility, you have filters.
Oddy said the MMFLA does allow outdoor growing.
David Hartford of Chelsea spoke of the value to the township opting in would bring.
Kurt Milhouse of Karr Road asked the committee to make sure it is a level playing field, with nobody being allowed to have all three facilities. He said those opting in now will make more money because the price will continue to plummet.
“Everyone here should be able to make money he said. “It’s a niche market. The odor is manageable.”
Milhouse said he would continue to attend the meetings and he would like to provide information to the committee.
Mary Ban of Lohr Road said she was talking with a man who lives near Denver and his community had opted out. She said he told her so many high schoolers go out to lunch and do “vapors” and when they come back to school they can’t function.
“It’s kind of a warning,” she said.
Ban also said FDIC banks will not accept funds from marijuana growers because it’s an illegal substance.
“It concerns me that we are trying to put the cart before the horse … Federal law supercedes …” she said.
Young said if there’s room for states to regulate, it’s always a conflict. “It’s a very
complicated issue,” he said.
She suggested a Dollar General store, like in New Boston, be invited into Sumpter since they are seeking to go into rural communities.
Andre Watson of Sherwood Road said medical marijuana is not a magic fluid, but it’s a unique opportunity for Sumpter to take advantage of. He said this is a part of America where wealth is really growing and he doesn’t know if union jobs will be here in the future.
“If it starts to terrorize the community, clamp down,” Watson said, adding he is looking at the future of the community and they should take advantage of this opportunity and look closer at it.
Alexander Enriquez of Martinsville Road, a double-amputee veteran who has been using marijuana for 41 years instead of opiods, said in the last few months he has been looking for land of over 10 acres in size to buy in the township and it’s being bought up quickly.
He said Sumpter Township is making out now, just with the anticipation.