The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Association, is taking action to fight human trafficking. in the city development center, 1120 Monroe Ave. The public hearing on Grand Rapids’ recreational marijuana ordinance will begin at 1 p.m. Many of the guild’s members are involved in cannabis policy reform including Decriminalize GR, Safe and Smart GR, and MILegalize/Vote Yes on Proposal One Campaign. The West Michigan Cannabis Guild was formed in late 2018 and is made up of over 100 individuals, businesses, activists and advocates. Opening private, adult-only and well-ventilated “consumption lounges” within the city to reduce the use of marijuana in public spaces. Implement a robust social equity program to begin to help repair the harms to communities most affected by prohibition and the war on drugs, including reduced application fees, access to low-interest loans, free technical assistance and more. Reduce the residential setback requirement to 1,000 or 500 feet to open up more parcels and neighborhoods to marijuana businesses. No more than three licenses should be issued to the same business, or “true party of interest.” To keep wealth in the hands of residents, the guild proposed the following amendments to the ordinance. “These medical marijuana facilities will provide job opportunities, improved access to medical marijuana and breathe new life into long-vacant buildings, yet the Grand Rapids licensing process has been a huge missed opportunity for creating wealth for Grand Rapidians who have made Grand Rapids the vital city it is today,” the guild said. The West Michigan Cannabis Guild submitted a letter in September 2019 expressing disappointment in the concentration of licenses in the hands of companies existing outside of West Michigan. “They (licenses) go to giant corporate conglomerates, people that have never lived here.” “On the street, they’re saying these licenses are going to be worth $1 (million) to $3 million and think of all the people who have been here for 20 or 30 years who have built this place or have been harmed by the drug wars,” VandenBerg said. Tami VandenBerg, co-chair of the West Michigan Cannabis Guild, has long been an advocate for using the emerging adult-use industry to generate wealth for Grand Rapids residents and ensuring local entrepreneurs can take advantage of marijuana licensing. 23 regarding the city’s recreational cannabis ordinance, and the West Michigan Cannabis Guild is urging the public to step forward and speak out against the concentration of licenses to out-of-area businesses. The Grand Rapids Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Jan.
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