An Example of Political Misinformation Regarding Legal Cannabis

Cannabis might be legal in Michigan, but don’t even think about trying to sell it in the city of Hudsonville. In a recent WOOD TV8 story and interview, Hudsonville Mayor Mark Northrup was very vocal about his opinions on legal Cannabis and its effects on the community. Northrup is drawing a “line in the sand,” as he put it, regarding Cannabis sales in Hudsonville. Throughout the interview, Northrup passionately espoused his reasons for banning legal Cannabis sales in Hudsonville. His reasons given were vague generalities, representing a rather antiquated attitude about Cannabis that displayed a fundamental lack of understanding and compassion.

Northrup approaches the issue under the assumed premise that Cannabis is bad or immoral. His beliefs about Cannabis are rooted in a willful ignorance that could be easily remedied with a little research. Though the majority of Hudsonville voters did choose to ban legal Cannabis sales in the city limits, the vote was characterized by an abundance of misinformation, prejudice, and ignorance, the kind demonstrated by Northrup throughout the interview. That said, here are a few of Northrup’s boldest statements from the interview. Hopefully anyone who was misled by his claims will read this and consider the facts.

Northrup: “I am duty bound to protect my community, the safety of my children, [and] the safety on my streets.”

Northrup cites safety as a reason for his anti-Cannabis stance, and of course safety is a concern in any community. However, legal Cannabis has yet to prove itself unsafe. In fact, Cannabis legalization has shown decreases in crime in jurisdictions where Cannabis is legal. Let’s talk about the border first. The bulk of illegal Cannabis entering the US has come over the Mexican border. So if legal Cannabis is the crime magnet Northrup believes it to be, border towns should show an uptick in criminal activity upon the implementation of Medical Marijuana Laws (MMLs). But studies show that the opposite is true. In a 2017 study¹ utilizing the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting², The Economic Journal reported that counties near the border showed a dramatic reduction in violent crime and cartel activity after MMLs were passed. The same study also showed that the trend held true for jurisdictions further from the border. Additionally, the journal Police Quarterly reported that in Washington state and Colorado, legalized Cannabis improved police clearance rates of both violent and property crime by allowing police departments to focus resources on more serious crimes³. What does this mean? If Northrup was truly concerned with safety, he would fully support Cannabis sales in Hudsonville. The data completely debunk his flawed thinking. Opponents argue that legal Cannabis may result in an increase in driving under the influence, and they’d be right. However, that claim comes with a caveat: legalization of Cannabis comes with a lower consumption rate of hard drugs and a reduction in alcohol consumption. Granted, you may have more people driving “high,” but alcohol-related motor vehicle infractions and accidents are reduced. Furthermore, how many people are going to drive under the influence of Cannabis now that it’s legal? Logic says that if people weren’t smoking Cannabis because of its legal status, new users wouldn’t drive under the influence since the practice is still illegal. But even if we ignore logic, there’s also data that shows that experienced cannabis users who drive under the influence show no functional impairment in their ability to operate a vehicle ⁴.

Northrup: “Nothing good is going to come of this and we are putting a line in the sand. We don’t want it here. We don’t need it here.”

Nothing good can come of legal Cannabis? Well if the crime statistics don’t convince you otherwise, let’s talk money. As reported by Forbes⁵ in May 2018, Michigan earned over an estimated $630 million in a single year of medical marijuana sales. It’s likely that the residents of Hudsonville would like a little share of that “nothing good.” But the “nothing good” goes beyond mere dollars and cents. Currently, there are over two million medical marijuana patients in the US using Cannabis to treat conditions such as Tourette Syndrome, Crohn’s disease, chemotherapy related nausea, MS, and more^6,7,8. Often times, these patients find relief using Cannabis that they can’t get from other treatments. Northrup claims that these people should only use Cannabis in their basements. Fortunately, Northrup doesn’t get to decide what’s best for patients in the state.

Northrup: “What is the message to the school children… we’re gonna sell marijuana to pay for your school son and daughter… it’s a false message, it’s vulgar almost.”

Clearly Northrup either didn’t read Proposition 1⁹ or he just doesn’t care. In addition to covering the cost of regulation and providing funding for medical Cannabis research, tax money from legal Cannabis will be used to fund schools. On top of the regular state sales tax, an additional 10% excise tax will be applied to sales of legal Cannabis. 35% of this revenue has been earmarked for schools. Northrup’s assertion that this is a “false message” is just that, false. In addition to money for schools, another 35% will go to transportation and road repair, with the remaining 30% being split evenly between counties and cities that allow Cannabis dispensaries.

Editor’s Note: It may seem strange to fund schools with cannabis money, but the same can be said of funding animal conservation with big game licenses. Good can still come from something that people may perceive as bad.

One bright spot regarding Cannabis sales in Hudsonville is that the ban can be overturned when the city of Hudsonville realizes it voted against its own interests, as it did in a 2007 vote that finally allowed restaurants to serve alcohol in the city limits. Prior to this vote, Hudsonville had voted to keep its antiquated liquor laws. Like alcohol sales, the smart money says it’s just a matter of time before Cannabis sales will be legal in Hudsonville. And if Mark Northrup doesn’t like that, maybe he should be the one to stay in the basement, rather than hindering the community with policy fueled by false claims and ignorance. If you’d like to reach out to Mayor Mark Northrup and RESPECTFULLY voice your disapproval, you can contact him via the methods below.
Email: mnorthrup@hudsonville.org
Phone: 616-662-2663

Cited Sources:

1. The Economic Journal
2. Police Quarterly
3. Uniform Crime Reporting Program
4. The Effect of Cannabis Compared with Alcohol on Driving
5. Forbes
6. Growers Network: Health Benefits of Cannabis
7. Growers Network: Cannabis for MS and Epilepsy
8. Growers Network: The Value of Medical Cannabis in Treating Veterans with PTSD
9. Michigan Proposal 1 (2018)