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Mississippi voters demand democratic accountability.
#greenlightgulfport
Mississippi voters demand democratic accountability.
#greenlightgulfport
MP4 would like to thank everyone in advance for their support and efforts. This battle is far from over, but with the community behind us we can continue to stand up formedical cannabis patients throughout Gulfport!
Gulfport City Officials,
Gulfport City Ordinance 3130 is causing a site shortage for medical cannabis dispensaries, even in commercial areas and medical hubs. This makes dispensary operation impracticable, which is in conflict with the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act of 2022.
Gulfport opted-in to the Mississippi Medical Cannabis program but is unnecessarily restricting medical marijuana dispensaries from operating in 87% of the city - even though 82.7% of Harrison County voted for Initiative 65 in 2020.
Patients need access to dispensaries just like pharmacies, near where they live and not out on the highways and byways. These community businesses will offer philanthropy, employment, tax revenue, and life-saving medicine for Gulfport.
Please amend Ordinance 3130 to expand the eligible zones for medical cannabis dispensaries. Treat these operations as the medical facilities that they are, so that they can provide compassionate care that Gulfport patients need.
Sincerely,
Mississippi Residents in Support of Patient Access to Medical Cannabis
This information will be used to fill out the automated letter and sent to Gulfport city council showing their support in this grassroots movement.
83% of Harrison County Voters supported the state medical cannabis program at the polls
500 - 1,000 Gulfport eligible patients will need to access a dispensary every two-weeks
87% of Gulfport is ineligible for siting a medical cannabis dispensary
0% of commercial property currently available is suitable for a retail medical facility
Treat Patients with Compassion; Treat Dispensaries as Medical Facilities.
● The City of Gulfport perpetuated a de facto opt out by creating zoning restrictions that
make siting dispensaries nearly impossible, except in the most limited and undesirable
places.
● Mayor Billy Hewes has long opposed medical Cannabis, and continues to oppose the
location of dispensaries in our City, and very much exerts his negative political pressure
on the process.
● Only the organized and cooperative political pressure of many among the 83% who
voted in support of medical marijuana can undo this damage and positively reshape the
map to favor patients over Gulfport.
● We ask that state-legal medical Cannabis be treated the same as any other legal
medicine. Currently, opioids like oxycontin or fentanyl (which are allowed by permission
in T4+ zones via traditional drug stores).
● Natural medicines that do no harm should be treated as well as the synthetics that have
resulted in an epidemic that takes as many as 80,000 lives or more each year in
America.
● The City has been as hostile with us and confused the process as much as they could
without doing anything illegal, yet, we believe. We have licenses in other MS cities that
have been far more cooperative, helpful, and accommodating to our new business than
anything Gulfport has ever done for us. In fact, by refusing to let us speak, enforcing
strict time restrictions on our speakers and/or canceling meetings where we appear on
the agenda, the City has penalized us many times over.
● Allegations by the Mayor and other NIMBY (not in my backyard) citizens about us
rushing our purchase or attempting to thwart the system or cram it down anyone's throat
are malicious, false, and unfounded. We can disprove each of these allegations, but
nothing credible can explain why this administration continues in the vein of antipathy
towards this industry that is wildly popular in his City.
● In fact, the actions of this administration have been the reverse of rolling out the red
carpet for a new important business in our state - these delays instead serve the same
function as very expensive penalties to us since we pay for the state license, but can't
use it (because the City won't issue us a municipal permit), we pay mightily for mortgage
payments, steep insurance payments, and taxes. Thus, we're being penalized simply for
wanting to do business in Gulfport and wanting to take care of Gulfport patients in even
the most basic and compassionate ways.
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