Tuesday night outside of the Niles Fire Station Complex, Niles’ John Lewis pointed a sign toward passing traffic with the words “Like pot? Me too. Be here at 6 p.m.”
The call to receive more feedback from Niles residents saw an audience of about 85 people gather Tuesday at the Niles Fire Station Complex to share their opinions. Some like Lewis shared avid support, while others told council members they should think twice before allowing medical marijuana facilities in Niles.
Unlike the last community forum in February, the audience was more divided on the issue.
According to Mayor Nick Shelton, 25 people took to the podium to address council members about the issue. Thirteen people spoke in favor of allowing medical marijuana and 12 spoke out against allowing it.
The state cannot begin processing applications until Dec. 15, 2017. Shelton said he does not yet know when council members will be ready to vote on the issue, but he hopes that it will be before the end of the year.
City administrator Ric Huff said that if the city chooses to opt into the statute they can choose which of the five available facilities they want to allow, how many are allowed to operate and where those facilities can set up shop.
Residents in support seemed largely to focus on the ability of medical marijuana to provide relief to those who would use it as a medicine, while those opposed expressed concern that it could lead to other “gateway” drugs and that other options were available for aiding the sick.
Taking to the stand that night, Jim Clark, of Niles shared his discontent with the potential allowance of medical marijuana in city limits.
“I have always thought of drugs as being like a snake. The closer you get to them the more danger they become,” he said. “Now maybe I am thinking about harder drugs, but marijuana has historically been described as a gateway drug. Many young people start off with marijuana and it grows and becomes something else.”
Clark said he did not claim to be an expert and was not prepared with statistics, but said that he had seen issues with marijuana play out in his family, when his children moved to Colorado. He said after one of his granddaughters started smoking marijuana and progressed to harder substances, her life was eventually taken due to an overdose on a harder drug.
“I fear for those young ones,” he said.
No matter what their differences were on the issue, Clark said when it was all over he hoped that the issue would not cause divide.
“I hope when this is all over that I am friends with every one of you,” he said.
In support of medical marijuana, Stefanie Bennett, of Niles, told the crowd her son Bailey Bennett used marijuana to cope with nausea, seizures and other side effects that afflicted him while he was battling brain cancer.
Bennett said her son – battled cancer for four and a half years before he died.
“When the doctors look at you and tell you chemotherapy is basically killing your son faster than cancer, what do you do?” Bennett said. “You keep hope and you run to cannabis, because as a parent that is all that was left.”
Bennett said her son used oils and edibles, which did help to manage his pain.
The conversation grew contentious at one point while a resident spoke in opposition to the statute. After their comments, a few boos and other interruptions were heard.
Shelton reminded the audience to be respectful.
“I encourage you to listen and stay engaged, be polite and respectful or we reserve the right to end this meeting,” he warned.
The rest of the meeting went off smoothly and Shelton commended the amount of courtesy that was displayed during the forum from audience members on both sides he said he was glad to hear feedback from the people in the city.
“It takes bravery to share your opinions and stories,” Shelton said. “There are 11,000 people in Niles. I encourage them to reach out to the council member in their ward. I encourage everybody to talk to their neighbors and decide what the city wants. We need to hear it.”