Marijuana revenue bringing boost to communities
By Trae Harris and Hannah Mose
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BANGOR TWP., Michigan (WNEM) — Bangor Township, among other mid-Michigan communities, is getting a boost through its marijuana establishments.
It’s one of more than a dozen mid-Michigan cities to receive payments from the statewide Marihuana Regulation Fund.
“Kind of nice news, I haven’t committed the figurative memories. So, let me look at it here,” said Bangor Township supervisor Glenn Rowley.
More than $87 million will be distributed across the state through the Marihuana Regulation Fund, with eligible municipalities and counties receiving more than $59,000 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness.
Bangor Township is one of those municipalities, and it’s getting almost $900,000.
“$886,295.25. Not a bad little chunk of change,” Rowley said.
He said that money will be put to good use in the township, focusing on improving roads, drinking water lines, election equipment, and improvements to schools.
“The majority of our infrastructure was put in in the 1940s and 1950s. It’s not lead pipes. It’s just old rotting out cast-iron pipes and it needs to be replaced. And we don’t have federal or state money coming in to do that, so we have to do it ourselves,” he said.
Rowley said it was a gamble being one of the earliest municipalities to legalize dispensaries, but it’s turned out to be very beneficial to the community.
“We gave it a try and boy, that was pretty controversial. I’d like to say it’s been a success,” he said.
The revenue was collected from 737 licensed Michigan dispensaries.
A portion of this funding will also be going directly to K-12 schools for aid funding with more than $100 million to disperse across the state.
Several other local cities are getting a piece of that revenue.
Bay City is receiving almost $1 million, Flint is receiving over $500,000, and Saginaw is receiving over $450,000.
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