A group of anti-marijuana activists is heading up a ballot proposal seeking to overturn the adult-use cannabis ordinance and put Curt Molina and others out of business. Riverview may be the first community in Michigan to face a ballot proposal to rescind cannabis sales after they were approved by elected leaders.
The group, Let Riverview Vote, submitted 580 signatures to put the issue on the Aug. 8 ballot, when voter turnout is traditionally low.
The initiative is led by former Riverview Councilman Elmer Trombley, who didn’t return phone calls or emails for comment.
Molina believes the group intentionally put the issue on the August ballot to take advantage of low voter turnout.
“They rushed to get it on the August ballot because less people vote,” Molina tells Metro Times. “The general public comes out in November. Not as many people come out in the midterms.”
To defend the ordinance, Molina and other cannabis supporters launched the website voteno.net and also plan to pass out flyers in July. They will explain the many benefits of the legal cannabis industry: The dispensaries provide good-paying jobs, occupy abandoned buildings, and generate hundreds of thousands of dollars in new taxes, which the cash-strapped community of about 12,000 residents could use.
So far, Riverview has approved applications for four cannabis businesses to open, and another is in the process of getting approved.
Molina estimates that each business will hire 20 to 30 employees “at a minimum of $18 an hour, plus tips.”
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