Candidate for Detroit’s City Council in the 2nd District George Cushingberry Jr is making a pair of stops this week at private social clubs in the city. He is sharing his vision for the city with Detroit residents- a vision that includes a responsive City Council, a properly directed police force and hemp-based commerce.
Stops for the candidate will be at The Ranch, 2627 John R on the 17th and Woodward Health Solutions, 17436 Woodward Avenue on the 18th. Both sessions begin at 5:30. Following the Woodward appearance, the candidate will walk the neighborhood on Parkhurst, talking to residents and answering questions about his vision for Detroit’s future.
During a July appearance on the Planet Green Trees Internet Radio Show, Cushingberry discussed his quest for new office, his support for marijuana law reform and the difficulties it creates for him- especially in the area’s churches and houses of worship.
Cushingberry has been a strong supporter of medical marijuana patients rights. During Cushingberry’s time in the House of Representatives he and fellow Minority Caucus member Rep. Fred Durhal held a series of meeting where representatives of the medical marijuana community were brought together with members of the Michigan State Police, Prosecuting Attorney’s Association and other prohibition-minded organizations.
“Now it seems to me that the Michigan legislature is hostile in most cases to our movement and the court has not been as generous as I would have liked them to be be, but at least they have given us the opportunity to continue to litigate it,” Cushingberry said.
Cushingberry received accolades from the show’s on-air staff for his staunch defense of cannabis issues, dating back to his college days in the 70-s. “I am most proud of my defense of medical marijuana patients and others in the various courts in the state,” he acknowledged. Cushingberry also praised Detroit marijuana activists Tim Beck and Richard Clement for their ongoing marijuana law reform efforts.
“I took a lot of heat from the clergy with my colleagues over it but I still think it’s the wisest thing to do,” he said. “If our friends in the movement get behind me I’m sure I can get elected in the 2nd district. I’ll be someone who can pass ordinances that will carry out the wills of the people.”
Detroit passed a medical marijuana law in 2004, was one of the state’s most supportive cities when the statewide medical marijuana law was passed in 2008 and in 2012 legalized possession and use of one ounce or less of cannabis by anyone 21 years of age or older on private property by a 66%-34% vote. When asked by the show’s host, Southfield attorney Michael Komorn, if the issue of marijuana in the city has become a positive instead of a negative, Cushingberry replied, “I think it has…
“At one time we had an ordinance when Mayor (Coleman A.) Young was around that made it the same kind of an offense as it was in Ann Arbor and East Lansing. It has been this Council who has refused to implement the various ballot questions that have passed and have been hostile to what 66% of the people in the last election voted for here in the city of Detroit.”
Candidate Cushingberry spoke about his vision for a cooperative relationship with the City Council for the marijuana law reform community. “We need to focus our manpower upon not arresting kids with a joint for marijuana… those police resources need to be redirected toward doing investigations for some of the very violent things we see happening too often in the city… I think we will have a lot of friends among those who are running for Police Commissioner as it stands now.”
Added Cushingberry, “If I am elected to the City Council in Detroit you will have a real friend on the City Council.”
Cushingberry is interested in using marijuana and hemp to generate success in Detroit, and even mentioned the idea of a marijuana tax stamp that would meet the requirements of both federal and state laws.
“We’ll be able to show people how you can use hemp for many different things like hemp fuel, how we can use hemp cloth to make alternative (automobile) seating and other sorts of things that will make us even more competitive worldwide.”
“I think people are ready for some honest talk in Detroit about marijuana,” Cushingberry said, “and about the city’s finances.”
“I just want to see us have some renaissance thinking in our city because our city can grow and prosper.”
George Cushingberry Jr will be appearing on July 17 at the Ranch and July 18 at Woodward Health Solutions; both begin at 5:30. More information can be found at www.cushforcouncil.com
Source: The Compassion Chronicles
