Though marijuana has been
legalized in one form or another in
47 states and Washington D.C., it is
not legal at the federal level. Thus,
many depository institutions have
been reluctant to engage in business
with the cannabis industry for fear
of getting penalized by the federal
government. This has prevented
many
marijuana
businesses,
including those in Ann Arbor, from
having strong relationships with
banks.
For instance, Om of Medicine,
a cannabis provisioning center
in Ann Arbor, has gone through
10 bank accounts in its 10 years
of operation, according to Lisa
Conine, Om Community Outreach
Coordinator.
“As you can imagine, that’s
pretty stressful for business,”
Conine said. “Essentially, it’s on the
banks for how they want to handle
cannabis businesses, and as of
right now, because they don’t have
any federal protection, they don’t
really want to deal with cannabis
businesses because it puts them at
risk.”
Conine said a lot of the banks
have a system that is triggered if
something they deem out of the
ordinary occurs, such as a large
cash deposit. Based on their own
discretion, these banks can then
decide to freeze the account of
a marijuana business and then
eventually
close
the
account
altogether.
“A lot of times, we don’t really
even know the bank’s process until
it’s already happened, and every
bank might have a different thing
that triggers it, so it’s really like
a guessing game,” Conine said.
“So, it’s super inconvenient and
obviously a huge issue when that
just randomly happens, and then
things like rent and electricity
that any business has to pay, we
struggle to do if, all of a sudden, our
account shuts down and all those
automatic payments are trying to
be taken out.”
Conine
said
if
the
SAFE
Banking Act were to pass through
Congress, Om would feel much
more financially secure when
conducting business.
“So, for us, the most instant
benefit of the bill would be if we
had a bank account that we didn’t
have to worry about shutting
down, and we could process
everything through and act like
any other business and not have to
worry,” Conine said.
Another obstacle Om has faced
due to its adverse relations with
banks is difficulty in trying to
provide donations. Om supports
local Ann Arbor nonprofits, and
several
times
after
donating
checks to these organizations, a
bank has shut down Om’s account
without the business’s knowledge
and before the nonprofit could
process the donation. Om then
has to explain the situation
to the nonprofits and create a
new way to transfer the money,
making the process unnecessarily
complicated, according to Conine.
The difficulties these businesses
experience
with
depository
institutions also result in a lack
of ability for the companies to
take credit cards, debit cards
and checks from patients. Thus,
patients and customers must pay
with cash when going to most
cannabis businesses.
Nationwide, the knowledge of
marijuana businesses solely using
cash has resulted in a fear and
increased likelihood of theft and
robbery. For instance, TotaLeaf
Inc, a cannabis manufacturing
company
in
Sacramento,
California, had $80,000 worth
of product and cash stolen from
its warehouse this past year. In
addition, on Aug. 28, there was
an armed robbery at a marijuana
social club in Genesee Township,
Michigan.
State
Rep.
Debbie
Dingell,
D-Ann Arbor, expressed in a
tweet the security issues of
these
marijuana
dispensaries
handling business in cash and the
importance of shifting to other
payment methods.
“It is not safe to walk around
with duffel bags full of cash – but
that’s what’s happening right
now,” Dingell wrote. “Marijuana is
already legal in many states. Now
let’s make it safe for legitimate
marijuana businesses to use banks
like other legitimate businesses.”
Another difficult aspect of only
being able to conduct business in
cash is the negative stigma that
often results from it. According to
Conine, solely using cash makes
many people feel like they are
operating in the illicit market.
Many patients already come into
the dispensary with a negative
perception
associated
with
cannabis, and having them carry
and pay large sums of money adds
to this mindset.
“So
really
being
able
to
normalize it and make it just like
any other purchase that they
make anywhere else is something
subtle but can have a big impact on
the subconscious in the way that
people can start to dismantle that
stigma and the shame that might
be associated with cannabis use,”
she said. “Especially when they’re
trying to heal an illness, you don’t
want to be using something and
feel like you’re a criminal doing
it; that’s not helpful when you’re
trying to get better.”
If the bill were to pass and these
cannabis businesses are able to
build stronger relationships with
depository institutions, patients
would not only benefit, but the
industry would as well, Conine
said. At the moment, according
to Conine, the system makes
it difficult for small marijuana
businesses looking to enter the
market.
“It’s
an
issue
for
small
businesses because, if they’re
not able to work with banks in a
traditional way, then they can’t
access normal business loans,”
Conine said. “So, the access to
capital is really important for
people to succeed in the industry,
so a lot of people, if they don’t have
access to investors, they’re kind of
counted out already.”
According to Eric TerBush,
LSA senior and product manager
and staff reporter at Benzinga
Cannabis, the growth of the
cannabis
industry
has
been
curtailed by the lack of protections
currently present for depository
institutions.
“I think the ability for the
industry to mature is stifled by
the inability to bank,” TerBush
said. “An important clause within
the SAFE Banking Act includes
insurance protections as well as
banking protections which can be
interpreted as opening the doors to
institutional investment, which is
very much needed in an industry
that’s incredibly cash-strapped and
in constant demand for (external)
financing.”
Conine described the value
passing the bill would have on
the industry as a whole and how
it could increase the likelihood of
other cannabis-related legislation
getting passed as well.
“This is so important,” Conine
said. “The whole movement is
really looking at this banking
issue as the first domino that
needs to fall. If we can get this
passed through Congress, then
there’s so much more of a chance
for other bills to pass because the
conversation will be fresh, it’ll be
live in everybody’s minds on the
Hill and it’s a low hanging fruit. It’s
not controversial at all, we’re just
asking for these already existing
businesses to be able to use a bank
account.”
However,
according
to
Schlissel, the scientific data
has been insufficient for
the University to introduce
any campus-wide ban.
“What I was concerned
about is there is not great
data about the health effects
of vaping,” Schlissel said.
“If you have the stuff laced
with CBD or something,
then
that’s
a
different
beast,
but
commercial
vaping things, it could be
a pathway to addiction,
but it’s also a prescribed
treatment to get people off
cigarettes.”
Vaping
has
become
a
particularly pertinent issue
to University students after
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
banned sales of flavored
e-cigarettes
in
early
September. The new ban
attempts to limit underage
kids’ access to Juuls and
other devices that are seen
as a gateway to cigarettes
and
tobacco
products.
Earlier
this
month,
the
Trump
administration
enforced
a
similar
policy, cracking down on
e-cigarette
companies
marketing to children.
Schlissel
said
the
University
would
not
make a similar mandate
due to problems with the
enforceability of a potential
ban of nicotine products on
campus.
“These things are so tiny
and discreet that it’s very
hard to enforce a ban,”
Schlissel said. “Who’s going
to be the vaping police? And
in your class, do you want to
spend your time scanning
every person and saying ‘Is
that a piece of candy you’re
popping in your mouth or
are you taking a puff on
some
electronic
device?’
And if you make these rules
that aren’t enforceable, it
kind of decreases respect
for the law.”
Schlissel also referenced
efforts to improve parking
and
transportation
for
U-M health center patients
and nursing staff unable to
make appointments due to
parking. Schlissel said the
University
has
proposed
several
projects
which
would make parking and
transportation
to
North
Campus easier.
“There’s a construction
project for a thousand spots
of parking right next to the
Wall Street garage which
is three minutes from the
health system, so that will
be very helpful,” Schlissel
said.
Another
possible
proposed solution was a
new shuttle that runs on
its own path separate from
the roadways that would
decrease
commute
time.
Schlissel said this project
is still in the works, but
could begin to be developed
within the next few years.
“We’re
working,
but
not
ready
for
public
consumption, on a high-
volume,
high-speed
connector, that will go from
Central Campus, right in
front of the health system,
up to the North Campus and
onto the NCRC,” Schlissel
said. “It would have a high
enough
capacity
and
a
regular enough frequency
that it would help a lot.”
Schlissel
said
this
proposal
was
crafted
in response to frequent
congestion
and
slow-
moving traffic on Fuller
Street, leading to North
Campus. This traffic largely
affects University faculty
who make the commute,
either in their own car
or via Blue Bus, to North
Campus every day.
Another
point
of
discussion
for
board
members was the use of
electronic voting for the
Senate Assembly, a method
that members say has been
adopted by multiple other
universities.
Ivo Dinov, SACUA board
member and bioinformatics
professor,
wrote
the
report
on
introducing
electronic voting to Senate
Assembly, and said using
this technology to gauge
support for certain policies
can eliminate complications
involved with voting in
person.
“If you only insist on
having people that meet
the
minimum
critical
requirement,
that
100
people — Senate members,
show up to vote — is this a
better situation than having
everybody have a chance
to vote even if they did not
hear the argument?” Dinov
said. “So it’s one of those
things where you have to
be careful because a lot of
people travel, and they’re
just not going to be here.
So, having the opportunity
to vote asynchronously is a
huge plus.”
Director
of
U-M’s
Faculty
Senate
Office,
MaryJo
Banasik,
spoke
with a Senate Assembly
member at the University
of Minnesota, who claimed
that electronic voting has
streamlined the process of
making faculty decisions.
Banasik said ideally the
University would purchase
software such as Qualtrics
or Simply Voting to expedite
the voting process.
“They
actually
use
it
[Simply
Voting]
if
they
cannot
get
a
quorum,”
Banasik
said.
“So,
they
have a deliberative meeting
in person first to discuss
the issues and the next
meeting they hold the vote
in person, and if they don’t
have enough people to make
the quorum for that vote,
then they turn to electronic
voting.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 — 3
Commerical
vaping things,
it could be a
pathway to
addiction, but it’s
also a prescribed
treatment to
get people off
cigarettes.
SACUA
From Page 1
SAFE
From Page 1
At
the
University
in
particular, C-SPAN wanted to
engage with students and first-
time voters to help them learn
more about the government,
elections and U.S. history,
Hemming said.
“In
the
classroom,
we
bring 12 to 15 students on
for a 15-minute presentation
talking about our video library,
which
has
over
250,000
hours of content, adding
to it every day,” Hemming
said. “So, they walk away
with a new resource they
can use inside and outside
the classroom, not only as
a first-time voter, but to
learn about government,
American
history
and
civics.”
Green added that, with
its onboard studio, C-SPAN
can film live tapings and
interviews to be aired in its
programming.
“We are doing 30-second
interviews
asking
the
question:
‘What’s
an
issue that you want the
candidates
to
address
in 2020?’” she said. “So,
what’s important to you.
We air these on C-SPAN
almost like commercials
highlighting the University
of Michigan students and
staff here and the state of
Michigan as a whole.”
Robert
Krasny,
a
University
professor
of
mathematics and a C-SPAN
viewer,
was
excited
to
interact with the bus after
hearing it was on campus.
He agreed with Green,
saying
C-SPAN
is
an
important public service.
“They say it right on the
bus, it’s your unfiltered
view of the government,”
Krasny said. “The great
thing about C-SPAN is that
they’re
balanced.
They
have call-in programs, for
example. People can call
in and give their opinion
about
the
events
that
are going on. One phone
number is for Democrats,
one phone number is for
Republicans,
and
the
third phone number is for
independents
and
they
really get very balanced,
round point of view of the
whole population.”
LSA senior Pamela Sobze
had heard of C-SPAN, but
wanted to interact with
the bus to learn more about
them. Sobze said C-SPAN
could help college students
engage more with politics
and
the
government
through interactive events
like its bus tour.
“Young people, a lot of
them do follow politics,
but a lot of them don’t,” she
said. “It’s hard to balance it
with school, so I think this
is a good way to get people
exposed to it. And if there
are things they don’t know,
like I didn’t know a lot of
the minor details, it’s fun
to learn about why certain
events are so important
and why things get so much
coverage.”
CSPAN
From Page 1
For the last three years
of
Alexander’s
illness,
Valentine became his full-
time
caretaker.
Valentine
said it was an honor to
help
Alexander,
after
the
compassion
Alexander
had
shown him.
“He
fought
for
the
underdog, he fought for the
people that couldn’t fight for
themselves, the people that
didn’t get justice,” Valentine
said. “There was something
magical about him.”
Renardo A. Bowles, who is
studying to be a social worker
in
Detroit,
participated
in Alexander’s drama and
creative writing workshops
while still in prison. Bowles
said Alexander is the reason
he decided to continue his
education when he got out of
prison in 2013.
“He gave me a different
perspective and he impacted
my life by wanting me to
continue
with
education,”
Bowles said. “Right now, I’m
working with a lot of troubled
youth, I’m working with the
same people who have been
in the same situation I was in
… that, right there, inspired
me to do more of that of
giving back. That’s what he
exemplified.”
Darryl
Woods,
whose
prison
sentence
was
commuted
by
former
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder
last year, also felt Alexander’s
influence through his PCAP
workshops.
Woods
said
a
creative
writing
workshop
improved his writing skills
and helped him earn his GED.
He also recalled Buzz’s ability
to bring prisoners of different
identities together, which was
a rare occurrence according to
Woods.
“He brought us all together,
we
all
came
together
to
create,” Woods said. “That
was a magical thing, that was
a powerful thing to do inside
the prison.”
In
spite
of
his
work
delving into serious, systemic
problems,
Alexander
had
a silly side too, Janie said.
Laughing, she told a story
of Buzz entering a theater
workshop dressed up as a
woman.
“He wore stockings, and
high heels and a wig. And he
was six-foot-four. And when
he walked on stage, the women
in the audience just collapsed
with laughter,” Janie said.
He loved hiking, biking and
reading, Janie said. Woods
said he would miss Alexander’s
“infectious” laugh and smile.
Other people interviewed for
the story chuckled about his
flyaway hair. Everyone felt his
legacy would live on.
Valentine
said
he’s
hoping someone else in the
community with Buzz’s magic
appears.
“I just hope somebody else
can carry the light the way he
did,” Valentine said. “I mean,
every once in awhile someone
comes along, but we need
people like that in our in our
society and in our culture.”
BUZZ
From Page 2
Lesko
did
not
respond
to multiple requests for an
interview, and Stulberg directed
The Daily to Weider. Kuhnke’s
office declined to comment for
this story.
In response to the FOIA,
Lesko, Stulberg and Weider sued
to stop their records’ disclosure.
Kuhnke stated in her ruling that
because the messages in question
concerned city business, they
therefore constituted part of
the public record and could be
subject to FOIA.
However,
Weider
said
he
believed
it
was
more
complicated. Weider said he
thought citizens should have
the right to raise an issue with
their public officials without fear
that their neighbors may FOIA
those communications and use it
against them.
“There’s
no
reason
that
citizens can’t have confidential
communications
with
people
to the government,” Weider
said. “In fact, there are good
reasons why they should. … It
could keep people from actually
communicating with their own
counsel people.”
Weider
also
said
that
according to his understanding
of FOIA, the city does not
have to release the records of
communication between private
citizens and public officials —
they are allowed to do so, but the
act does not compel that action.
Weider said he and the others
brought the suit against this
FOIA hoping the judge would
point this out in her ruling, but it
was never referenced by Kuhnke.
“I don’t think any of the three
of us really care very much about
the substance that’s going to
be damaging or embarrassing,”
Weider said. “It’s just a matter of
principle.”
City
Attorney
Stephen
Postema has previously stated
the
city
of
Ann
Arbor
is
compelled by statute to fulfill
FOIAs of the nature of that filed
by Vazquez.
Griswold and Nelson each
said they believe the judge ruled
correctly and the records of their
communication
with
private
citizens is applicable to FOIA
regulation.
“I don’t want to be having
secret
conversations
with
anyone,” Griswold said.
Mayor
Christopher
Taylor
said FOIA should function as a
“window into the workings of
government.” He said he does
not get offended when people
FOIA his records and others who
wish to influence governmental
proceedings should be prepared
for the same scrutiny.
“It’s the right of every person
to make such a request,” Taylor
said.
However,
Griswold
and
Nelson each voiced a concern
that FOIA rules may be becoming
more out of touch as technology
evolves.
Nelson
noted
that
people who are not as active in
Ann Arbor politics may not know
how to take advantage of FOIA
capabilities.
“For people who want to
be informed, who want to be
involved, we need to make it
easier for them to understand
how our government is working,”
Nelson said.
Nelson also raised concerns
regarding how this ruling will
affect communication obtained
through FOIA which revolve
around
campaigning,
not
governing. Griswold, likewise,
indicated the only outcome she
predicts this ruling will render
will be an uptick in FOIAs
coming election season.
The records have not yet been
released and will remain sealed
so as to allow the plaintiffs the
opportunity to continue their
case in the Michigan State Court
of Appeals. Weider told The
Daily he and the others will not
be continuing with the case.
Vazquez promised to publish the
records as soon as they are made
available to him.
However, Vazquez admitted
he does not believe there to be
any inflammatory information
included
in
the
documents
obtained through FOIA. He too
believes primarily in defending
the principle of his position: the
preservation of transparency.
“I’m
not
expecting
any
smoking
guns
or
anything
because if you look through the
documents that were given to
me, they’re all pretty tame,”
Vazquez said. “But for Lesko,
Stulberg and Weider to stand in
the way of full disclosure tells
me and many people they’ve got
something to hide.”
FOIA
From Page 1
Having the
opportunity
to vote
asynchronously is
a huge plus.