Mayors Marijuana Comments Public Comment from Matt CulleyAimee Brunckhorst
From: Matt Culley <mculley@me.com>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2021 11:12 AM
To: Kalispell City Council
Cc: Mark Johnson
Subject: EXTERNAL The Mayor's Marijuana comments
Hi there, I just wanted to respond to Mayor Johnson's comments about marijuana quoted in the Flathead Beacon
here https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/10/08/kalispell-restricts-marijuana-operations-to-industrial-zones/
His statement sounds like it's straight out of the 1980's drug war panic. The Mayor speaks of detrimental impacts while
disregarding the fact that the largest impact of marijuana has been its criminalization that has led to hundreds of
thousands of incarcerations throughout the country. This statement is a slap in the face to everyone that has been badly
affected by the drug war. It comes from a place of shelter and privilege.
The fear mongering language used like "God, what have I done" is very inconsiderate to marijuana advocates, marijuana
businesses, and those who have been helped by legal marijuana use. It makes fellow Kalispell residents look like the
bogeyman because they sell a plant. Would you ever say that about a local brewery?
I have zero ties to the marijuana industry in Montana but I am a harm reduction advocate that is involved in drug policy
and on the board of a harm reduction org. I am also a Kalispell resident that is very surprised people still say things like
that in 2021. It would be much appreciated if the City Council and Mayor would dive deeper into these issues before
making divisive public comments that aren't backed by existing data. In fact there's plenty of data showing teen use
going down in many jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana.
If anyone is interested in discussing this topic more feel free to reach out.
-Matt Culley
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