50/50 Winner – Erie Petrus
Rotary Updates:
The Bayou Battle was a huge success! The final tally from all sources was $8,145.66. Orchard Markets brought in $3,420.66, the tailgate event at SLHS brought in $3,285.51, and $1,102.95 was collected at the game. Amazing! On top of that, Spring Lake beat Fruitport for the first time in 5 years! Go Lakers!
Presenter: Ottawa County Sheriff Kempker
Topic: Recreational Marijuana Ballot Proposal
On Tuesday, November 6, 2018, Michigan citizens will be asked whether they want to legalize
recreational marijuana. Medical marijuana was made legal in 2008, and voting “NO” on this proposal
will not affect medical marijuana.
Sheriff Kempker presented the reasons why Michigan law enforcement is against the passage of this proposal.
This Proposal Will:
1. Allow the highest per person marijuana possession limit of any state in the nation.
- Adults will be able to possess 10 ounces or approximately 600-880 joints at home and 2.5 ounces of personal possession in public.
- Adults will also be allowed to have 12 plants in their home (12 plants per adult).
- In the seven states that have legalized recreational marijuana, the personal possession limit is 1 ounce. The exception is Maine, which allows 2.5 ounces for personal possession. Massachusetts allows the possession of 10 ounces of harvested marijuana at home.
- Michigan would allow possession in both categories - at home and personal possession.
2 . Aggressively advance an agenda without easy citizen regulation. If initiative passes on
November 6, every Michigan community - whether their members want it or not - will be open
for “marijuana business” as of January 2019. Towns will be forced to allow recreational
marijuana businesses until they choose to “opt-out”.
- Every community means - every municipality or township in Michigan.
- Business refers to commercial growing and retail shops.
- To opt-out or limit the number of recreational marijuana businesses in your community, an individual in the community must petition to initiate an ordinance to “opt out” of the law, after it goes into effect. Said individual must gather 5% of voter signatures from the last governor election, and create a ballot proposal for a regularly held election (cannot be a special election), and get enough community support to pass the initiative at the next election.
3. It will not regulate like alcohol: there is limited specified regulations . The penalty for selling
to minors is vaguely stated.
- Also, if a young person, ages 18 to 20 (under the age of legal purchase, possession, and use in this proposal) is ticketed, they need not be advised or required to take drug education or counseling.
4. It will allow the transfer (or giving) of 2.5 ounces of marijuana to someone else without any
regulation.
5. This initiative does not regulate the potency of marijuana.
- Today's drug is much more potent - containing up to 2 to 7.5 times more THC, the addictive chemical compound in marijuana, than in the 1980s.
- The THC level in highly potent marijuana edibles (80% to 99% THC) is not regulated.
6. This initiative has unforeseen consequences for Michigan businesses and the economy.
- Expect decreased work safety and productivity with workers under the influence.
- Expect an increase in absenteeism (employees not showing up to work).
- Expect decreased workforce with applicants (and workers) that can't pass a drug test, etc.
- The US Navy estimates each drug user costs his or her employer an average of $6,600 more
- than non-substance using coworkers
- In accordance with the National Drug Control Policy, the estimated national cost of lost worker
- productivity including absenteeism and poor job performance due to illicit drug use was 129
- billion dollars.
7. Increases Law Enforcement’s Job.
- This will make it difficult for police to prove a driver is under the influence of marijuana.
- This will affect enforcement and potentially accident liability and insurance rates.
- The PER/SE (BAC of .08+) criterion for driving under the influence of alcohol will not apply.
This Proposal Will Not:
1. The ballot initiative does not address possible dangerous additives to marijuana cigarettes.
2. This ballot initiative does not prohibit marijuana and alcohol sale and consumption in the same
place of business (it allows consumption at the site of purchase). This further raises concerns about
car crashes and fatalities, given the potential for drugged/drunk driving.
3. This ballot initiative does not allow citizens to FOIA Information to discover who owns/operates a
grow establishment, even if the business creates a public nuisance.
4. This ballot initiative does not allow marijuana use/addiction to be used as a factor in determining
child custody.
To learn more about this topic and to join our efforts to STOP the legalization of recreational marijuana in November in Michigan please visit our website today!
John Nash emailed out the Sheriff’s handouts, references, links to resources, and the exact wording of the ballot proposal that will be on November’s ballot in Michigan.
Next Board Meeting: Friday, September 14th @ 11:15am at SLCC
