Medical Marijuana Coming To The Cloud?

Editor's Note:
With the city of Newaygo moving ahead on plans for a medical marijuana manufacturing facility our county seat has also decided to enact ordinances paving the way for a similar facility in their Industrial Park.
Going a step further than their neighbor 10 miles south, the White Cloud City Council will allow any of the five licenses attached to the new law regarding MM including dispensaries.
December 15th is the date the new state  regulations go into effect and licenses can be applied for and both cities have interested parties.

While controversy continues and opposition to these initiatives exist, municipalities throughout the state are responding to the economic benefits to be had when new businesses arrive in their towns and townships bringing the promise of revenue and jobs.

We spoke with White Cloud Mayor Charles Chandler and asked him to share a few words on the recent  decisions made by the City Council.

Thanks N3 for the opportunity to comment on the Council’s recent approval of Resolutions 2017-26 and 27.

These are our Ordinances that will regulate the medical marihuana business in White Cloud.  For me; my decision to vote to approve was an easy one because of all the incredible preliminary work the White Cloud Planning and Zoning Commission had done to craft these Ordinances.  When it appeared that we would have an opportunity to attract some medical marihuana business to White Cloud the Planning Commission Chair Candice Dault, and members Jerry LeBlanc, Becky Hooper, Dale McConnaughy, and Council Rep Richard Dault committed to the task at hand.

This was a new business opportunity for White Cloud and one that is receiving a lot of national media attention.  The Commission, again in my opinion, wisely disregarded all the controversy and local drama surrounding recreational marihuana and focused very carefully on the business of regulating a medical marihuana business.   They did their research, reviewed a lot of data, and took a very pragmatic and objective approach to developing ordinances that would meet the needs of prospective business owners and operators, and the statutory requirements. They took directions, advice and counsel from City Manager Lora Kalkofen, Police Chief Dan Evans, Zoning Administrator Robert Hall, and Mark Guzniazak from NCEDO, Consultant Christopher Grobbel PhD and City Attorney Cliff Bloom.

After several months of hard work and seven or eight iterations as well as a public hearing they felt they had Ordinances that could be presented to Council and that would best serve the long term business and social interest of White Cloud. If you read these Ordinances you will agree they are robust, will stand the test of time and could be used as a model for other municipalities.  The result of their hard work was easy approval of these Ordinances by and with thanks from the Council and positive comments from some of the residents of White Cloud.

It was our hope that the Ceres Solutions Co-Op milling operation under construction in the Industrial Park would be an anchor and attract additional business to the Park.  It appears that this may happen soon and in my opinion our Industrial Park is the right place and this is the right time and Medical Marihuana is a right business for our long term growth plan. The Ordinance became effective as of November 15 and now we are a Community that is welcoming the medical marijuana business to our industrial park.  

Well Done Planning Commission.
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Charles Chandler
Mayor
City of White Cloud