Bangor City Council Chairman Wants City To Sell Marijuana
By William Stash Jones
Oregon Cannabis Connection
Bangor, Maine City Council Chairman believes that the city should monopolize the retail outlets and earn cash for the town’s coffers. In a workshop on March 13th, City Council Chairman Joe Baldacci said he believes that local government would be in an ideal situation to “protect” city youth and and enforce marijuana laws, all while making a tidy profit for Bangor.
“I would prefer that the money stay in local government pockets to fund things like schools and roads and police and fire,” Baldacci told Bangor Daily News. “Most people think of it as a good idea.”
“Somebody is going to do this,” Baldacci added, referring to the retail marijuana sales. “Cities in general have been cut by state and federal government reductions in funding. The money’s got to come from somewhere.”
Of course, he didn’t think it out to well. Since cannabis is considered a Schedule I Controlled Substance, any federal funds that go to the city could be jeopardized. The City Manager explained that during the meeting. The city receives about $30 million annually in grants, all of which require federal law be followed.
By the end of the meeting, the council decided the city should not become a test case and that it was not worth risking the loss of grant money.
Baldacci remains insistent that it would be a good idea. He referred to state and local governments running liquor stores many decades ago and believes marijuana is in a similar flux, so it could be a possibility in the future. According to the Bangor Daily News, he hopes to revisit the proposal down the road when the city has determined its laws and rules regarding marijuana.
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