May 3, 2022
To: The Residents of
the City of Perry
This communication is to make you aware that an outside
organization, Shiawassee Cares Coalition, is taking steps to circulate a
petition for another proposal on the November 2022 election ballot regarding
the City’s medical marihuana regulations.
We want to ensure that all of you are aware of the City’s
recent history and current status on this topic.
As many of you know, in November of 2021, the Shiawassee
Cares Coalition was successful in having a medical marihuana proposal to amend
the City of Perry’s charter placed on the ballot. The actual ballot proposal read as follows:
“This proposed charter amendment,
if adopted, would assist patients in need of medical marihuana for conditions
such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, colitis, arthritis, crohn’s disease,
cerebral palsy, chronic pain, parkinson’s disease, post traumatic stress
disorder and other medical conditions for which marihuana is an approved
medical use by the State of Michigan, end the City’s prohibition of medical
marihuana facilities, and create a City Department of Medical Marihuana
responsible for overseeing the local regulatory structure for such facilities.”
The proposal passed with: 230 –
Yes 222 – No
The actual charter amendment details authorized multiple
medical marihuana facilities (8) within the City of Perry. (1) Marihuana Safety Compliance Facility;
(1) Marihuana Secure Transporter; (2) Marihuana Provisioning Centers – Dispensary;
(1) Class A (500 Plants) Marihuana Grower; (1) Class B (1000 Plants) Marihuana Grower;
(1 ) Class C (1500 Plants) Marihuana Grower.
It also defined a number of other specific requirements and timelines
for the City that would place an undue burden on a city of our size.
To quote Leslie Abdoo in the March/April 2022 magazine; The
Review, “One of the biggest challenges facing Michigan cities and
villages as it relates to marihuana regulation is the newest wave of ballot
initiatives sweeping across the state. In both the 2020 and 2021 November
election cycles, nearly identical petitions were filed in small communities
across the state. The newest petitions have largely involved charter amendments
under the Home Rule City Act which have raised many questions regarding the
appropriate process for placing these amendments on the ballot. Many charter
amendment petitions, particularly targeting small communities, have very
similar language and provisions.
After significant review and advice by legal counsel, the
Perry City Council voted to challenge the legality of the charter
amendment. (The results of that legal challenge are pending). However, given that the medical marihuana
vote was positive and the fact that the City of Perry residents supported two
prior Michigan marihuana ballot proposals in 2008 and 2018, the Council voted
to develop and adopt the necessary medical marihuana ordinance(s) to allow for
one (1) medical marihuana provisioning center (dispensary) within the
City. Those ordinances (360 & 361)
have now been completed and approved by the City Council. The approach by the
Perry City Council is a gradual one, starting with one medical marihuana
dispensary license being awarded via lottery involving all qualified
applicants. This approach will allow the administrative burden of handling
applications to be limited to an amount we can process properly. The risk of
future lawsuits created by subjective scoring processes would be lessened.
Management of this type will prevent the process from being crippling for a
city of our size.
We ask that you support our efforts to do what we believe is
in the best interest of the City and its residents and not allow our City to be
“controlled” by an outside interest group. We encourage you NOT to support the petition
to rescind our new medical marihuana ordinances.
Mayor Sue Hammond
Mayor
Pro-Tem Larry Lambert Council Mindy Galbavi
Council Bob Porter Council Steve Wallace
Council
Mike Connell Council Chad Fuller