UNDERWATER TO HIGH AND DRY. MONDAY ON LOCAL 4 NEWS TODAY AND STREAMING ON LOCAL 4 PLUS. WELL
IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO THAT
DETROIT VOTERS APPROVED
RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA. IT’S
TAKEN SINCE THEN FOR THE DETROIT
CITY COUNCIL TO COME UP WITH A
LICENSING SYSTEM, BUT THEY DID
THAT. THAT’S THIS PAST WEEK AND
A FEW MINUTES WE’RE GOING TO
TALK WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO HOPE
TO HAVE THOSE LICENSES, BUT
LET’S START THINGS OFF WITH THE
PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF THE DETROIT
CITY COUNCIL JAMES TATE COUNCIL,
BUT REALLY APPRECIATE THE TIME
TODAY. WE HAVE WATCHED DETROIT
KIND OF THOUGHT THAT NOT QUITE A
FEW OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE
STATE HAVE KIND OF JUMPED OUT
AHEAD OF DETROIT ON THIS, AND I
GUESS SOME WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW
WHY? WHY WHY WAS IT SO MUCH
HARDER FOR DETROIT TO GET ITS
ACT TOGETHER? GOOD MORNING,
DEVIN. I MEAN, SO, SO HONESTLY,
IT WAS IT WAS DIFFICULT,
CERTAINLY BECAUSE WE WANTED TO
MAKE SURE WE KEPT SOCIAL EQUITY
AND OUR LEGACY DETROITERS AT THE
FOREFRONT. IF YOU RECALL AND YOU
KIND OF TALKED ABOUT IT, WE
ACTUALLY PUT AN ORDINANCE OUT
AND APPROVED IT UNANIMOUSLY ON
CITY COUNCIL, UH, IN NOVEMBER OF
2000 AND 20 IN 2000 AND 22, SO
WE DIDN’T WE DIDN’T SLOW WALK
THIS. WE HAVE BEEN VERY
STRATEGIC ABOUT HOW WE
APPROACHED IT. MANY OF THE
CITIES THAT YOU LOOK AT AROUND
THE METROPOLITAN AREA. THEY
DON’T HAVE AN EQUITY. UH, AN
ELEMENT OF SOCIAL EQUITY
INCLUDED. IT IS INCREASINGLY
IMPORTANT FOR US TO ENSURE THAT
WE DO IT BECAUSE DETROIT HAS
BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
MARIJUANA ARREST AND SO TAKING
THE TIME TO DO OUR BEST TO
ENSURE THAT WE WORK WITHIN THE
FRAMEWORK OF THE LAW. TO ADDRESS
THOSE ILLS OF THE PAST, BUT THEN
ALSO PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY IN
THE FUTURE AND THE PRESENT IS A
BIT DIFFICULT, BUT I BELIEVE
THAT WE HAVE HIT AS CLOSE TO THE
MARKETS WE CAN BASED UPON THE AH
, THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE IN IN
THE LAND. WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT
THAT, BECAUSE THE WORDS EQUITY
AND LEGACY ARE A BIG PART OF THE
WORK THAT YOU’VE BEEN DOING.
THEY KIND OF AMOUNT TO
PREFERENCES. I’LL BE HONEST WITH
YOU, COUNCILMAN. I GET A LITTLE
PTSD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT
PREFERENCES, BECAUSE I ALWAYS
THINK BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DEAL
ON CASINOS, PREFERENCES WERE SET
ASIDE FOR I GUESS WHAT YOU WOULD
HAVE AT THE TERM AT THE TIME
REFERRED TO AS LEGACY
DETROITERS. IT MEANT THAT WE
MISSED OUT ON MIRAGE, WHICH WAS
GOING TO CREATE THE BIGGEST
CASINO, THE LARGEST EMPLOYMENT
PICTURE. BECAUSE THE LICENSE
WENT TO THE GREEKTOWN GROUP. THE
ORIGINAL GREEKTOWN GROUP WENT
BANKRUPT. I STILL DON’T KNOW HOW
A CASINO GOES BANKRUPT, BUT I
GUESS SOME WOULD SAY, LOOK, WHAT
THIS NEEDS TO BE GUIDED BY IS
THE BEST BUSINESS PRACTICES BEST
BUSINESS SENSE RATHER THAN THE
PREFERENCES KIND OF LEAD YOU
DOWN A TROUBLED PATH. I HEAR
THAT I MEAN AND EVERYONE HAS A
RIGHT TO AN OPINION AS A LEGACY
AS A DETROITER MYSELF LIFELONG
DETROITER, AND THERE’S A
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO HAS TO
IDENTIFY HOW TO UM, CREATE SHAPE
POLICY THAT AFFECTS NOT JUST US
IN TODAY’S WORLD, BUT HOW IT
WILL HAVE A REVERBERATING EFFECT
MOVING FORWARD. I HAVE TO ALWAYS
KEEP MY EYE ON AGAIN TODAY AS
WELL AS TOMORROW. SO BUSINESS
BUSINESS MINDED. I MEAN, WE
COULD HAVE FLIPPED THE SWITCH.
LITERALLY AFTER THE VOTERS
APPROVED IT, UH, SURE IN 2000
AND 18 GOAL IS NOT JUST ABOUT
DOLLARS FOR THE CITY. THE GOAL
HAS BEEN ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT
WE PROVIDE THE BEST AVENUE
BECAUSE WE CAN’T GUARANTEE A
LICENSE DE’VEON PROVIDE THE BEST
AVENUE AND BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR
THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
UH, MARIJUANA ARRESTS. BUT
AGAIN, I ALWAYS SAY THIS IS A
THIS IS A VERY CUTTHROAT
INDUSTRY. AND IF WE DO NOT AS
GOVERNMENT DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO
HELP REMOVED AREAS OR AT LEAST
LESS THAN THOSE BARRIERS TO THE
POINT THAT WE CAN, THEN I’M
FAILING IN MY JOB. YOU ALSO WANT
PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT
THERE’S SOME FLUIDITY TO THIS
ONE OF YOUR COLLEAGUES. THERE
WAS ONLY ONE VOTE AGAINST FROM
MARY WATERS, AND THAT’S BECAUSE
SHE FELT LIKE THERE WASN’T
ENOUGH PROTECTION FOR THE PEOPLE
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT. SHE SAYS
SHE PUT THE LICENSING SYSTEM WAS
BROKEN. I DON’T THINK YOU THINK
THAT THIS IS ALL NECESSARILY SET
IN STONE AT THE MOMENT. NOW WHAT
? WHAT WHAT I WILL SAY IS TO MY
COLLEAGUE AND ANYONE ELSE. UM IF
YOU HAVE A BETTER OPTION, PUT IT
ON THE TABLE, AND IT WAS NOT PUT
ON THE TABLE. IT’S ONE THING TO
VOTE. NO BUT IT’S ANOTHER THING
TO PUT UP A BETTER OPTION OR
DIFFERENT OPTIONS. SO AT THE END
OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW 8 TO 1 CITY
COUNCIL VOTED ON IT. I THINK
THAT’S A PRETTY IMPRESSIVE
MARCUS. ACTUALLY WHEN YOU’RE
TALKING ABOUT A LICENSING
ORDINANCE THAT AFFECTS THE
ENTIRE CITY. AH THIS ORDINANCE.
AS I’VE SAID, FROM THE VERY
BEGINNING, IT’S NOT PERFECT.
YOU’RE GONNA BE VERY HARD
PRESSED TO FIND A PERFECT
ORDINANCE, BUT WE DO HAVE IS AN
ELEMENT. THAT ADDRESSES. UH
ELEMENTS OF RESOURCES. WE
ADDRESS THE ELEMENTS OF EQUITY
ITSELF. WE ALSO ARE ENCOURAGING
PARTNERSHIPS WHEN, WHEN, WHEN
AVAILABLE, AND SO, UM, WE’RE
JUST NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO HIT
EVERY MARK. I KNOW THAT FOR A
FACT, WE’VE ALREADY BEEN I TOLD
THEM WE’RE GOING TO GET SUED. WE
KNOW THAT’S THE FACT IS WELL
ISSUED. EVAN IS CAN WE DEFEND
THE LAWSUIT, AND WE’VE GONE
THROUGH NUMEROUS CASES AROUND
THE COUNTRY? UH, IN A REALLY,
REALLY POURED INTO THAT THAT
REALLY TOOK A LOT OF TIME TO
MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE PUT
IN PLACE THIS TIME AROUND, FOR
SURE. WILL UH, STANDARD SCRUTINY
OF COURTS AND WE HONESTLY
CERTAINLY, UH, COMPLETELY
BELIEVE THAT’S THE CASE
STRUGGLES ARE NO DOUBT AHEAD. IT
WAS ALREADY A LEGAL DECISION.
THAT KIND OF HELPED DELAY THIS
ON THE ORIGINAL INTENT OF TRYING
TO CREATE A PREFERENCES IN THE
STRUCTURE AS WELL, COUNSELOR.
TAKE ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE YOU ON
THE PROGRAM. THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME AS WELL THAT GOOD
MORNING. ALRIGHT SO LET’S MOVE
NOW TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS
DEAL, AND THAT’S THOSE WHO ARE
WANTING TO BE LICENSED,
INCLUDING MANY ALREADY LICENSED
AS MEDICAL DISPENSARIES. I’M
JOINED NOW BY J. SNIPES CHIEF
OPERATING OFFICER OF WEST COAST
MEDS, AND JOHN MACLEOD, THE CO
FOUNDER OF CLOUD CANNABIS, WHICH
HAS A NUMBER OF FACILITIES NOW
ALL AROUND THE STATE. BUT YOU
WERE BOTH KIND OF IN THAT POOL
THAT I JUST MENTIONED AND J. I
GUESS I’M STARTING TO WONDER. IS
THERE STILL A ROLE FOR MEDICAL
DISPENSARIES? IF EVERYBODY IS
GOING TO BE RUSHING TO GET THESE
RECREATIONAL LICENSES, DOES IT
CAN YOU OPERATE AS CAN YOU
SURVIVE AS A MEDICAL ONLY
MARIJUANA FACILITY NOW, JAY. WAS
DEFINITELY A STRUGGLE AT THE
MOMENT BECAUSE WE ARE MEDICAL
ONLY AND MANY OTHER PLACES ARE
RECREATIONAL. HOWEVER WE ARE
DOING OUR BEST TO STAY OPEN FOR
OUR PATIENTS THAT ARE INDEED OF
MEDICAL MARIJUANA. JOHN I THINK
YOU FEEL THAT THAT’S KIND OF
IT’S SORT OF DOOMED IF YOU IF
YOU CAN’T GET A LICENSE FOR
RECREATIONAL NOW, IS THAT RIGHT?
YEAH THAT’S CORRECT. AND THE
NUMBERS PROVE THAT TO BE I HAVE
MEDICAL MEDICAL ONLY STARTING
TRAVERSE CITY. AND THEN, OF
COURSE, AS YOU’RE POINTING OUT
OF CONTROL, HIS MEDICAL ONLY AND
THE AMOUNT OF PATIENTS HAS
SHRUNK DRAMATICALLY IN THE STATE
THUS FAR. AND WE’RE REALLY
COMPETING FOR A VERY SMALL SLICE
THAT THE CONSUMER PIE AND YOU
KNOW, WE’RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. WE
WANT TO STILL CATER TO THE
MEDICINAL MARKET IN THE STATE OF
MICHIGAN, BUT WE CAN DO THAT.
THROUGH RECREATIONAL PRODUCTS,
THEIR QUOTES, RECREATIONAL
PRODUCTS, UM AT THE STORES,
REGARDLESS OF IF THEY HAVE A
MEDICAL DESIGNATION OR NOT,
WELL, LET’S JUMP BACK NOW TO THE
TO THE DECISION JUST MADE BY THE
COUNCIL J. YOU YOU’VE HAD A
COUPLE OF DAYS NOW TO LOOK OVER
WHAT THEY’VE DONE. THEY’RE
OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO CREATE A
PREFERENCE FOR DETROIT
OWNERSHIP. DO YOU FEEL LIKE WHAT
THEY’VE DONE IS GOING TO CREATE
MORE FIGHTS OVER THE WAY WE MOVE
FORWARD OR HAVE THEY MADE IT
PRETTY CLEAR ON ON A PATH NOW
FOR EVERYBODY TRYING TO GET THE
LICENSES. WELL EITHER WAY, THERE
IS NO PLEASING EVERYBODY. SO
YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE YOUR
COMPLICATIONS WITH WHATEVER
ORDINANCE YOU COME UP WITH? YOU
KNOW, SOME BUSINESSES ARE GOING
TO BE INQUISITIVE. AND BECAUSE
THE ORDINANCE REALLY IS FOR
EVERYONE GIVES EVERYONE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO START OFF WITH IT
LEAST ONE STORE. AND UM, THAT
WAY IT CAN START POURING BACK
INTO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL. SO
GIVES EVERYONE A FAIR
OPPORTUNITY, BUT IT MAY NOT BE
PERFECT. QUITE YET, JOHN YOUR
THOUGHTS ON THE WAY THIS IS
GONNA WORK. YEAH I AGREE WITH
YOU A I MEAN, LISTEN, THE
COUNCILMAN TATE IN THE CITY
COUNCIL HAS TRIED REALLY, REALLY
HARD TO BRING FORTH AN ORDINANCE
THAT IS INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE.
THERE IS POTENTIAL GENERATIONAL
WEALTH THAT COMES OUT OF THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY. AND CITY OF
DETROIT RESIDENTS LEGACY
DETROITERS SHOULD ABSOLUTELY BE
ABLE TO HAVE A SLICE OF THAT
PIE. NO QUESTION, I THINK, IN
THIS SECOND ITERATION OF THE
ORDINANCE IT EXPANDS THE NUMBERS
, WHICH MAKES IT A LITTLE BIT
MORE INCLUSIVE FOR ALL AND
HOPEFULLY WILL STAND UP TO ANY
LITIGATION THAT MAY ARISE. BUT I
THINK YOU KNOW, I COMMEND THE
DETROIT CITY COUNCIL FOR TRYING
VERY, VERY HARD TO DO THE RIGHT
THING. WELL, IT TOOK HIM THAT
THAT’S PART OF WHY I GUESS IT
TOOK THEM TWO YEARS DIDN’T BUT
I’M CURIOUS AS TO HOW WE MOVE
FORWARD NOW IN A ZONING SORT OF
WAY, AND THIS WILL BE A
CONVERSATION I’LL NEED TO HAVE,
I GUESS, WITH COUNCIL MEMBERS
AGAIN, BUT YOU BOTH KNOW THAT
EVEN THOUGH DETROITERS AND
MICHIGANDERS IN GENERAL, BUT
DETROIT IS OVERWHELMINGLY
APPROVED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA
WE’VE ALREADY SEEN IN SO MANY
COMMUNITIES VOTING YES, DOESN’T
MEAN THAT YOU WON’T ONE IN YOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD. OR A PLACE DOWN
THE STREET. SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW
TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT THE BEST
ZONING STEPS FORWARD J. WELL, UM
OPPORTUNITY IN THE CITY OF
DETROIT. EMPTY VACANT, SO I KNOW
SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT USED TO
CANNABIS STORES BEING IN THE
COMMUNITY. HOWEVER IF WE TAKE
AWAY THE NEGATIVE, REALLY TAKE
AWAY THE NEGATIVE AND PUT AND
THINK MORE POSITIVELY. BLANK
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IS
A BIG THING FOR MANY OF THE
PEOPLE THAT I WORKED WITH, AND,
UM JUST POURING MONEY BACK INTO
THAT IMMEDIATE COMMUNITY THAT
THEY DO DO BUSINESS WITH. WE ARE
PART OF WE’VE HELPED WE’VE
DONATED TO, BUT SO WE DID BACK
TO SCHOOL GIVEAWAYS, SO IF THEY
THEY TRY TO ADJUST AND ADAPT TO
THE NOW AND I KNOW IT’S NOT
SOMETHING A LOT OF US ARE USED
TO. AND UNDERSTAND THE POSITIVE
ASPECTS THAT IT CAN POUR BACK
INTO OUR COMMUNITY. IN A MAJOR
WAY. THAT’S THE BILLION DOLLAR
INDUSTRY THAT CAN AFFECT OUR
COMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY. IT IS
THERE’S A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF
MONEY CONNECTED TO IT. THAT’S
FOR SURE. JOHN YOUR THOUGHTS ON
THE NOT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD
STRING THAT WE WILL THAT YOU’RE
GOING TO BUMP UP AGAINST QUITE A
BIT. YEAH IT’S INTERESTING. SO
WE, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY,
WE’RE WE’RE LOCATED ON MACK
AVENUE. WE’VE HAD A REALLY GOOD
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE
MORNINGSIDE COMMUNITY. WE HAVE A
GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH
MACK AVENUE BUSINESS
ASSOCIATION. AND WHAT CLOUD
REALLY FOCUSES ON DOING IS HYPER
LOCAL ENGAGEMENT AND I KNOW
THAT’S VERY UNIQUE TO THE CANVAS
INDUSTRY. IN GENERAL, WE REALLY
WANT TO FOLD IN OUR COMMUNITY
INTO OUR GOOD DEEDS. IT’S A IT’S
A BUSINESS THAT HAS A LOT OF
OPPORTUNITIES TO GET BACK
FINANCIALLY, BUT ALSO IN
DONATION OF TIME. DONATION OF
SERVICES. YEAH JOBS. CREATION OF
JOBS IS A IS A HUGE BENEFIT TO
THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. I KNOW WE
AT CLOUD CANNABIS YOU TRYING TO
GET AS MANY ACTIVE COMMUTERS AS
POSSIBLE TO BE EMPLOYED AT OUR
STORES. AND THESE ARE WALKERS,
BUSTERS BIKERS, THESE ARE PEOPLE
THAT ARE NOT DRAGGING THE LOADS
ON THE ROADS OR ADDING TO A
MISSIONS. OR COMING FROM
DIFFERENT MUNICIPALITIES INTO A
COMMUNITY TO WORK. THESE ARE
PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN
STORES THAT ARE IN THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS THAT RIGHT THERE
IS A HUGE ADVANTAGE OF THE
CANNABIS INDUSTRY THAT WAS
REALIZED IT FRAMES THE IT FRAMES
YOUR CHALLENGES PRETTY WELL AS
WE’VE BOTH JUST DESCRIBED IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW YOU’VE
GOT YOU BOTH HAVE GOT A LONG WAY
TO GO HERE. AS YOU’RE TRYING TO