Gluckstadt board votes down pot again
GLUCKSTADT — Aldermen declined to reconsider their March 8 vote to opt out of medical marijuana Tuesday night by the same 3-2 vote.
Aldermen Jayce Powell and John Taylor voted in favor of reconsidering the vote, while aldermen Lisa Williams, Miya Warfield-Bates, and Wesley Slay voted against reconsideration.
Before the vote, Powell asked the board to reconsider their vote and shared his thoughts on why the city should change its decision, citing a 4000-year-old Chinese emperor who used cannabis to treat menstruation, gout, malaria, constipation, and more.
“As an alderman for the city of Gluckstadt, I have the opportunity to interact with city leaders, citizens, business owners, architects, and more,” Powell said. “As we all know, the majority of citizens here voted to allow medical cannabis, and I am speaking on behalf of citizens who voted to allow medical cannabis.”
Powell argued that cannabis has helped humans medically for thousands of years, and cited Shen Nung, the Chinese emperor around 2700 B.C., known as the “Father of Chinese Medicine,” and how Nung listed cannabis as a medicine he used to treat things like menstruation, gout, malaria, constipation, and more.
Powell said cannabis has been used for thousands of years not only in China, but also for years in America, and said cannabis replaced cotton in 1890 as the biggest cash crop in the South.
“Local doctors and physical therapists today cite cannabis to treat things like migraines, seizures, pain, nausea, and lack of appetite,” Powell said. “Cannabis has been used to treat these things for thousands of years. How much more research do we need? Over 4,000 years is plenty for me.”
“In 1993 my father was diagnosed with testicular cancer, and received a synthetic cannabinoid, Marinol, to help with his nausea and lack of appetite,” Powell added. “That helped him on his road to recovery.”
Powell said he spoke with citizens and businesses owners, who were in favor of not opting out of medical marijuana, and said they wanted to make sure planning and zoning was enforced on any businesses and facilities and didn’t want to see marijuana leaves and propaganda everywhere.
“This is a medical shop, not a recreational shop,” Powell said. “It should be professional in appearance and have good security, as well as having systems in place to track products just like any pharmacy would.”
Powell ended his arguments by comparing how a doctor in 2700 B.C. and 2022 A.D. both agree on the medical benefits of cannabis, and how it can help countless citizens going forward.
“The citizens came together and voted overwhelmingly to allow medical cannabis,” Powell said. “It is not our job to deny the treatment they choose to use. Would you deny someone their ADHD medicine, or opioids?”
Mayor Walter Morrison said the next step on medical marijuana is a special election if the city receives a petition to hold one.
“If such a petition is filed with valid signatures, we will hold an election,” Morrison said.