The go-ahead for a marijuana dispensary on the edge of Saginaw’s West Side Business District was discussed at the Feb. 6 City Council meeting, even though Zoning Board approval had been granted on Feb. 1.
The site is the former Hamilton Home Bakery on 1030 Gratiot.
Critics resurfaced, including Saleem Mannan, who has been the most persistent and who now refers to the cannabis stores as “dope houses.”
Councilman Reggie Williams II, former city police sergeant and now Buena Vista chief, responded that if teens are using, they are getting it not from the age-monitored dispensaries, but from people they know.
Mayor Brenda Moore echoed this thought and added, sadly, that family members, even parents, sometimes are the suppliers.
Sandra Robinson of the Saginaw County Prevention Coalition, however, said brand names with fruits and candy indicate that marketing to the underaged is taking place.
Mannan vowed to continue speaking out against not only the dispensaries, but another enterprise now newly state legalized, which is online gambling. He also included liquor stores.
Saginaw leaders, similar to those in other mid-sized cities, approved legalized cannabis sales three years ago. Based on sentiments from some who are new in office — George Copeland and Monique Lamar Sylvia — and veteran members who approved and now carry second thoughts, like Williams and Michael Balls, a similar 2023 overall vote would be much closer.
