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Public speaks on marijuana

Houghton

ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Village Council chambers were packed at the Aug. 25 Village Council meeting. The issue that brought people out dealt with the Aug. 12 council meeting where four members tabled a motion for the village to “opt out” of allowing a marijuana retail business in the village.

At that Aug. 12 meeting, trustee Sarah Hopper pushed for the village to allow for marijuana retail businesses. Supporting a motion to table a motion to prohibit retail sale was Village President Gerard Waldrop, Tony Smydra, and Don Chastain. The motion to look into allowing for retail sales passed by a 4-3 vote.

At this meeting, Smydra did not attend.

“I’m not here to support opt in or opt out,” said Eric Hopper, Sarah’s husband, “but I am here to get our elected officials to make reasonable, objective, and scientific decisions when you look at this.”

He agreed with the proposal to have the village voters decide through a referendum.

Hopper than went on to say that marijuana is legal in Michigan, “and that anyone over 21 in Ontonagon can consume, grow, freely share marijuana with each other and transport marijuana through our village.”

“To me it only makes sense to look at the economic advantages,” he said. “To get rid of the blight and to boost tourism. The issues of Marijuana are already here. To me it’s a no brainer.”

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