Our small beautiful village is under attack.

Owners of the Bent Anchor restaurant, located right in the heart of our village right beside the Madawaska River, have applied to the Madawaska Township to be rezoned so that they can open a marijuana shop right on their “family-friendly” premise.

Yes, you heard that right, a dope shop is being planned to open right here in our beautiful, faith-filled community.

On June 23, a group of about 20 members of the local community vocally expressed their deep concerns to Bent Anchor owners that a dope shop was not a good fit for the faith-filled and family-friendly community of Combermere (you can read about the strong arguments the parents made at that meeting here).

Despite all the concerns raised, all the alarm, and all the worry, and even despite the threat of a boycott, the Bent Anchor owners ignored everything, stating a few days later that they were going to go ahead with their plans anyway.

During the meeting, parents referenced studies that show an increased rate of crime and disorder in the communities where marijuana dispensaries are opened up. You can read that study here.

Others pointed out that drugs sold at the shop would inevitably “trickle-down” to the local children. Another dad quoted from the American College of Pediatricians who stated this month that marijuana has “adverse mental health effects” on children and that policymakers should “restrict the availability of marijuana.” You can read their eye-opening statement here.

One local mother during the meeting related bitterly how marijuana had destroyed the life of her son who started using the drug at age 14.

“By the age of 19, I’m having to go and pay off his drug dealers. What makes you any better than that,” she said, pointing an angry finger at the owners of the restaurant.

Continued the mother: “He started with marijuana, and went on to heavier drugs. He was threatened with death (from his drug dealer because of his debt). His Dad and I had to go out and pay the drug dealers. He is still smoking. He has mental issues. He is schizophrenic. He hallucinates that people are following him and that people are watching him. He is now suffering severe COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a type of obstructive lung disease). The doctors told him his COPD is from marijuana. So, you want to bring that evil (into our community)? You want to bring the evil from your city into our community?”

A grandfather in the community, whose own father had previously owned the land that the Bent Anchor now stands on, said that his deceased dad would never support the land being used to sell a recreational drug with a history of causing irreversible harm to its users.

“This right here was my dad’s property,” he said, pointing to the ground. “I think he would be squirming in his grave thinking that ‘this is going against the community. I didn’t want that to happen here on my property.’ It means a lot to us that this plan doesn’t happen,” the grandfather said.

A community of religious laywomen — across the river from the Bent Anchor — expressed concern about patrons of the Bent Anchor in previous years getting drunk, causing problems, and even “stealing our bikes.” The leader of the house of religious laywomen, part of the Madonna House community within Combermere, expressed concerns that users of marijuana purchased from the Bent Anchor could cause potential harm to their property and potentially the “vulnerable” women who dwell there.

“We’re concerned about people coming across to our property and causing trouble,” she said.

Local residents also expressed concerns about the Madawaska waterway — which is largely un-patrolled by police — seeing a surge of Marijuana users who could be driving the river while high and potentially causing bodily harm to swimmers and other boaters on the river.

On of the Bent Anchor owners, however, told the local community that the plan to open a Cannabis store is part of his plan to “upscale” the business so as to make more “money.”

At one point in the meeting, a local father said that if the plans to open the drug shop continue, local residents would have no choice but to “boycott” the business.

“This is a faith-based community. It’s a family-oriented community. People are raising their families here. They are investing in the future. They want their kids to return to this place. People here try to live Godly lives. Many of us see marijuana as a detriment to that lifestyle. And we see that it has the potential to bring in lots of negative consequences to our community,” said the father, who has eight children.

“I hold that marijuana is an abuse of the body and the mind and it affects the soul. I don’t support anyone who uses it. And I certainly don’t want it here for people in the community to light up and get high and for there to be a potential for it to be passed out to other people in the community, potentially even my children,” he continued.

“If you don’t drop this plan, our community will have no choice but to boycott you. If that has the unfortunate consequence of your business closing down, we’d rather see that happen than have a negative influence on our community that we love so much. For me, there is no compromise. A parent can’t compromise with something that they see as dangerous to their children.”

Today, a group of Combermere parents, grandparents, neighbors, and community leaders officially launched a boycott of the Bent Anchor. They are encouraging those concerned about the health and wellbeing of local children as well as the future of the community to join them in sending a clear message to the restaurant’s owners that the community’s children, well being, and very future are worthwhile fighting for.

Join us today in protecting our village, our children, our future.

Join us to stop a cannabis shop from opening in our village.