Okemos is a beautiful, quiet, safe family-oriented community.  By opening a marijuana dispensary within walking distance of three of our schools, this will attract cannabis store customers for purposes not related to our community.  The proposed location is next to Biggby's coffee shop, which showcases local student artwork, sports clip where many students get hair cuts, as well as other business that are used by Okemos families.  The location is close to three schools (0.7 miles from Hiawatha Elementary School, 1.4 miles from Okemos High School, and 1.3 miles of Chippewa Middle School).  Many students will pass by this area on the way to and from school.  By putting a cannabis business in this location, we are putting vulnerable children at high risk of exposure to substances they are too young for.

The easy access to the highway will attract strangers seeking marijuana into our community, making the already unsafe intersection at Okemos and Jolly even more dangerous. Additionally, studies have shown that areas near dispensaries often experience increased crime rates and decreased property values (source: Journal of Urban Economics). We must protect our neighborhood's safety and integrity for ourselves and future generations.

Please know we are not necessarily against legalized marijuana, but only a dispensary at this location next to schools and an already dangerous intersection.

Please sign this petition to stop the approval of a special use permit for a recreational marijuana dispensary planned for our neighborhood on the corner of Okemos and Jolly Road next to Biggby's coffee shop!