Sylvan Township Board Meeting - Upcoming Marijuana Discussion

Hi Sylvan Township Neighbors,

Please attend the S.T. Board meeting next week on Tuesday, 10/3, 7:00pm, at the township hall. Expanding marijuana facilities in our community for revenue generation is a plan that Treasurer Branham has brought back to the Board for discussion. Supervisor Kennedy would like all residents to weigh in with their opinions. There will be opportunity to share your thoughts during public comment to start the meeting or you can provide written feedback, in advance. You’re also welcome to do both. Letters to the Board can be sent before Tuesday to the following email addresses:

1. Treasurer Branham (re-introduced the plan) - rbranham@sylvantownshipmi.gov

2. Supervisor Kennedy (supports continued discussion) - kkennedy@sylvantownshipmi.gov

3. Trustee Schulze (supports continued discussion) - sschulze@sylvantownshipmi.gov

4. Clerk Nimke (does not support opening this discussion again) - animke@sylvantownshipmi.gov

5. Trustee Koseck (does not support opening this discussion again) - kkoseck@sylvantownshipmi.gov

If you missed the last Board meeting, here is a summary. Supervisor Kennedy and Trustee Schulze supported Treasurer Branham’s desire to reconsider this plan. All public comment from about 40 residents and members of SRSLY on this issue during the last Board meeting was against expanding facilities in the township. Much of the opposition was based on data describing the negative impact of more marijuana access in the area on the health and well-being of young people. It was also pointed out that there are already numerous outlets in nearby communities and many of these will deliver. Even Treasurer Branham commented at the meeting that he thought our young people already have access to it and are using it. So, he believes it makes sense for the township to move forward and financially benefit from opening things up for our own marijuana facilities.

Treasurer Branham mentioned his idea of a facility (retail?) on Brown Dr. while Trustee Schulze voiced her belief that marijuana (grow operations?) would be an opportunity for farmers to sell their land. Because of the public opposition, Trustee Koseck and Clerk Nimke supported removing the agenda item and not spending additional time on the topic. They pointed to the fact that this has been addressed by our attorney and discussed previously by the Board. However, the discussion was moved forward based on 3 votes to discuss (Kennedy, Branham, Schulze) against to 2 votes to delete and move on (Nimke, Koseck).

The legal use of Marijuana by adults is established law in Michigan, and it is readily available to residents of Sylvan Township. The issue for us to decide as a community is whether the benefits of opening new marijuana retail and grow operations in our township is worth the negatives. We should fully consider this balance before a 5-member Board makes the decision for us.

Organizing the issue into 3 areas might be helpful:

1. Financial impact: The only rationale raised so far by Treasurer Branham is the money he says will be generated by these retail or grow businesses. If this is the main motivation, it now becomes the responsibility of Branham and the Board to conduct a full financial impact evaluation for residents. Other costs to consider were raised at the last meeting such as lawsuits from any business owners who don’t get approved to open facilities and added law enforcement that might be required. The Board should also compare the financial impact of marijuana facilities to that of other more conventional development approaches such as appropriately zoned housing.
2. Public convenience: Convenient access might be another issue to consider. As stated earlier, there are numerous facilities accessible by a short drive from Sylvan Township, and many of these outlets will deliver. However, a retail outlet on Brown Dr (Mr. Branham’s vision) would make access to marijuana easier for recreational and medical consumers in our township. The question remains: “Is the net impact worth it?”, especially when one considers the next issue.
3. Impact on Public Health: Probably the most difficult issue to assess but the most important of these 3 is the impact on the public health of Sylvan Township. Specifically, what are the long-term consequences on the well-being of our young people? They are the most vulnerable group that will be impacted by this decision but will have the least amount of voice in the discussion. Good answers to important health questions may not be available for years, but at the last Board meeting, data were presented that suggest two important associations are known:

*First, SRSLY presented a well-referenced “Marijuana Fact Sheet” highlighting that “Within a 4-mile radius of a marijuana dispensary, young adults were more likely to use marijuana, have heavier use, and more problematic use showing signs of cannabis use disorder.” (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ajad.13132).

*Second, a recent analysis that pooled together results from several smaller studies showed an association between marijuana use in young people and a 37% increase in the odds of depression, a 50% increase in suicidal ideation, and a 246% increase in suicide attempt in young adulthood compared to non-users. (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2723657)

With the re-introduction of this agenda item by Treasurer Branham and support from Kennedy and Schulze, we must now have a full and transparent discussion of the topic, weigh the risks and benefits, and decide as a community, by a township-wide vote, if necessary. If done well, maybe we can establish a best practice for other townships like Sylvan to follow as they face this same question. In the end, residents should decide if this is good for them, their families, and the place they live. It’s too important to be reduced to a vote by 5 Board members.