By DEBRA HAIGHT

Leader Publications contributor

BUCHANAN – Buchanan city commissioners have approved new zoning ordinance amendments that allow medical marijuana facilities in several zoning districts, including the central business district downtown.

More than three dozen people attended the meeting with residents on both sides of the issue speaking out before commissioners voted.

Monday’s action came the same day that the city’s election commission gave local resident Cindy Benson the go-ahead to collect signatures on her petition to stop the city from allowing any medical marijuana facilities in the city. If she can collect 815 valid signatures in the next 30 days, the issue could be decided by a public referendum next May.

Benson said after Monday’s meeting that while her petition would throw out the city commission’s action in July to “opt in” to the state’s new medical marijuana facilities laws, she was primarily opposed to allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to be in the downtown business district.

“My issue is the downtown and I don’t want them near schools or residential areas,” Benson said. “Now the citizens can have their say. If my petition passes, there won’t be any facilities anywhere.”

If Benson is successful in gathering enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot next year, City Manager William Marx said that it would freeze both the “opt in” ordinance the city approved in the summer and the zoning ordinance amendments approved Monday until the public vote.

Benson was among those during the two-hour meeting who asked the city commission to keep a medical marijuana dispensary out of the downtown area and to let people vote on the issue.

“We have a plethora of places where they can go elsewhere. We don’t need it in the downtown area,” Benson said.

Downtown merchant Penny Slocum Correa said she and other downtown business owners do not want a
dispensary downtown.

“People can drive a couple of blocks. Let it be east or west of the downtown,” slocum – Correa said. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask.”

Antique shop owner Dean Ulrich disagreed.

“A lot of us want to have it downtown,” Ulrich said. “It will preserve the historic district. It will preserve the history and the buildings. It’s medical marijuana, not marijuana. The kids are not going to use it.”

People also spoke out passionately about the value of medical marijuana to those suffering chronic pain. Jennifer Parsons said she is a medical marijuana user and does not want to have to travel to Grand Rapids to visit a medical marijuana dispensary.

Johnny Wallace was the first to approach the city earlier this year about opening a medical marijuana facility. Monday, he said medical marijuana had allowed him to stop taking opioids and he welcomed the idea of having a dispensary downtown.

Tom Wright Jr. is a medical marijuana consultant and his family is proposing ventures in both Buchanan and Eau Claire. He does not see the problem with having a facility downtown.

“This is the best thing that could happen for the downtown,” Wright said. “Foot traffic will go up as will property values. These are the facts. Don’t let 1985 Ronald Reagan ‘just say no’ be your facts. This is a good viable option for people.”

City commissioners ended up voting 4-1, with Patricia Moore voting no, to approve the zoning ordinance amendments allowing a medical marijuana dispensary in the central business district and other facilities in the commercial, light industrial and heavy industrial districts. Voting yes were Carla Cole, Buchanan Mayor Brenda Hess, Dale Toerne and Dan Vigansky.

The biggest debate was over allowing dispensaries in the central business district.

“I understand a lot of people are fearful,” Toerne said. “If we get a business to locate there, they will see that their fear is not correct and that it can bring in other business and bring prosperity.”

Hess thanked people at the end of the meeting for giving their input.

“I want to say thank you. It’s been a very long process,” Hess said. “We appreciate everyone’s input. We may not agree on this issue but we can all agree that Buchanan is a very great place to live.”