DIFFERENCE OF OPINION: DEMOCRATS — Blowing smoke: Benzonia’s cannabis commerce

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the next installment in a monthly series that will pose a question or topic chosen by managing editor Michelle Graves, with responses presented by members of the Benzie County Democratic and Republican parties. The author is chosen by the respective party and may change from month to month. Columns will be published on the last week of each month. This month’s topic is recreational marijuana. Recreational marijuana establishments are opening or beginning to open in the area. Should communities accept these businesses or continue to block them from opening as some villages and townships are? What long-term affects will these businesses have on our communities and schools, children in particular?

This winter, at many hours of the day, the busiest parking lot along US-31 belonged to Lume — our community’s first-ever commercial cannabis shop.

I know this because Benzie County Democratic Headquarters is conveniently located right across the highway. No matter what time I was at HQ doing party business, even on very dark January nights, that place was lit up and busy.

Yet recently we’ve had neighbors thumbing their noses at social-distancing rules while roaming neighborhoods, door to door, trying to get people to sign petitions to either prevent such a thing coming into their own area (looking at you, Crystal Lake Township), or hoping to force Benzonia Township to pull the plug on Lume, even though it’s every bit as legal as a gun shop or liquor store.

It’s hard to tell exactly what the objection is, beyond the usual: pot is a gateway drug; it attracts criminals; it’s the ruination of youth; it leads to bad driving and other reckless or dangerous behavior; it’s just not right for our kind of community.

Did I leave anything out?

Despite federal attempts to block legit research, there’s plenty of evidence — and practical, real-life experience — knocking down most of those claims. Yes, pot dealers broke laws before legalization, so I guess that made them “criminals.” And yes, some dealers also sold dangerous, hard drugs, as well. And yes, young people, with still-developing brains, must stay away from the stuff, along with alcohol or other inebriants.

Few expect the adamantly anti-pot to ever change, no matter what science or their eyes tell them. No matter: Michigan voters finished the job when they voted for legal, recreational cannabis purchase and consumption in 2018.

It passed by a solid, 10-point margin, despite the blizzard of lies provided by our friends at the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Michigan Republican Party, who should know better. But, as it is with those guys, from guns to taxes to daycare centers, for crying out loud, that’s just how they roll.

But won’t these new cannabis stores become targets for drug robberies and gathering places for n’er-do-well drug users? Won’t they make more headaches for local law enforcement?

Not likely. I visited Lume late one night after a long day at the office, and I was amazed: For one thing, anyone thinking about knocking off such a joint and absconding the cash (it’s cash-only due to federal banking laws) and the weed will have a rude awakening. Given some guards’ armaments, it could be beyond rude.

And underage individual hoping to sneak in will also be severely disappointed. These stores not only carefully check over your license, they check a database and enter your name into a permanent list of purchasers.

And congregating n’er do wells? Can’t happen. No loitering in the lot, and when you are admitted from the waiting room into the retail area, a salesperson sticks to you like glue and walks you straight over to the cashier. The last thing that happens at these places is socializing. It’s strictly business.

So law enforcement can rest easy.

But isn’t this a hindrance to our community and its reputation? Sure looks like a help to me: First — check that vote total again. Second — know this: a portion of that steep, 10- percent excise tax you pay on every cannabis purchase goes to our own local government, schools and roads.

So, let me be selfish: I hope other jurisdictions around Benzie do, in fact, reject these pleasure supply shops from opening in their midst. That traffic Lume generates is good for tourism, and its tax bill is very good for Benzonia Township.

So, even though it’s no harm, no foul, y’all go ahead and keep these clean, legal, quiet, apparently well-run businesses out of your backyards. We were smart, and we got here first. So, leave it alone or, as they say in Jersey, just fergettiboutit!

Jim Dulzo is the chair of the Benzie County Democratic Party. You can reach him through the website, benziedemocrats.com.