The Silver City Daily Press reports on an explosive town meeting that highlights the range of issues where it appears people are just refusing to sit down and talk things through.
I’d suggest it’s a fable that’s a microcosm of whats’s happening around the country with regard to cannabis and hemp because of a lack of education and understanding about the issues at hand.
It seems in this case everybody’s at fault yet nobody’s at fault.
A good start would be some good old fashioned American manners coming back into play.
Here’s the report (i have added in some extra images)
(
Press Staff Photo by Juno Ogle)
Lisa Rush, an artist whose works were sold at Three Wise Women, 304 N. Bullard St., talks at Tuesday’s meeting of the Silver City Town Council about her concerns regarding tensions downtown between the gallery and its neighboring dispensary, Grateful Living. She was one of 10 who spoke of what they called a dangerous situation that included harassment leading to the closure of Three Wise Women.
https://www.facebook.com/p/Three-Wise-Women-LLC-61554641758877/
https://www.silvercitydispensary.com/silvercitynm
It was standing room only at Tuesday’s meeting of the Silver City Town Council, where residents turned out to speak out against what several called a dangerous situation in downtown Silver City.
All the seats for the audience in the commissioners’ meeting room of the Grant County Administration Building were full, and at least a dozen more people stood along the back of the room, many waiting for the public input session of the evening’s agenda.
A dozen people took their turn during public input, most describing situations they called harassment by the owner and customers of Grateful Living Cannabis Co., 306 N. Bullard St.
Several who spoke said they were artists whose works were shown at Three Wise Women, 304 N. Bullard St., a gallery for women artists and crafters. They said the gallery closed earlier this month after months of harassment, leaving nearly 30 artists without a way to earn income. The harassment, they and others said, is also affecting the reputation and economy of Silver City’s downtown.
Not all of the speakers were against the dispensary, however. Charles Carreón, who said he had a career as a prosecutor and public defender before moving here two years ago, said he was disappointed with what he said was “incessant police harassment” of Grateful Living.
He said his conclusion about the situation was that police have been asked to fix a problem faced by other dispensaries that don’t want to compete with a hemp shop. He said there is a conspiracy to target Grateful Living’s supply chain, with the local branch of a delivery company withholding deliveries to the shop until ordered by the Albuquerque office to do so.
He said there is enough evidence for the dispensary to have a federal antitrust claim as well as defamation claims.
“We citizens, who pay for the salaries of Silver City police with our taxes and its liabilities we absorb when they violate citizen rights, should be very concerned,” Carreón said. “Government is not the agent of any private interests. Government, especially police, must be absolutely neutral in disputes between local businesses. There’s no crime committed, there’s no police work to be done.”
Tara O’Neil said she has a jewelry business operating within the Grateful Living storefront, and has suffered because of rumors going around town.
“It’s not appreciated. It’s very alarming. I’ve even had customers quit buying my jewelry because they were told that my stuff is sprayed with fentanyl,” she said, at which some audience members laughed in response.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=762482739239850&set=pcb.762482795906511&locale=zh_CN
The rest of the speakers, however, described tense situations downtown and the loss of their income when the neighboring gallery closed.
Hilary Klein, one of the artists showing at Three Wise Women, said the gallery has endured loud music and a smell of cannabis or hemp that would give her headaches. She said the situation escalated when another dispensary opened across the street.
Klein said she noticed the owner of Grateful Living would become aggravated and would send his employees across the street with leaflets to get people to go to his store.
“Soon, there was a row of men standing in front of Grateful Living and on the other side of the street, the fellas from the dispensary on the other side,” Klein said. “They had to show their strength because that’s what they do. So it was a very aggressive situation that was happening.”
She also described a fight that broke out in front of Grateful Living, during which police were called. The fight had broken up by the time officers arrived, however.
Lydia Viegas, another artist, said people would stand on either side of the door to Three Wise Women and harass people.
“When your boss has to come in and out of her business with a baseball bat, that’s pretty sad,” Viegas said of Marti Lew, owner of the gallery. “We are a small town with big-city problems.”
The situation is also affecting other businesses downtown and tarnishing the historic district’s reputation, other speakers said. Laura Schoen, owner of Fetch Pet Boutique at 413 N. Bullard St., said she keeps multiple defense items in her store, including bear spray and cameras.
“In a town of 10,000, who would imagine that I would have to have that mindset?” Schoen said. “The state of Bullard Street is really embarrassing. The majority of my business is tourists. Some ask if it is safe to go here or go there. They are approached for money, even some forcibly talked to about a person who just got back from prison.
“How can anyone be proud when your own community doesn’t even feel safe to go downtown and enjoy it?” she continued. “There’s less and less retail downtown with more and more professional services and that’s not what’s going to drive our tourism.”
Several speaking during public input said they appreciate that Silver City police have had quick response times when called, and said officers had done what they could, but the speakers said they realized the authorities are limited in what they can do.
While several received applause and cheers, the loudest came for Karen Cruz, a former partner in Grateful Living.
According to the secretary of state’s registration for Grateful Living, Cruz is listed as a member of the company, along with Michael Cooper and Meagan Vance. Michael Mathieu is listed as the registered agent of the company.
“I have come to clear my name and potentially shed light on the issues with Grateful Living dispensary that are currently playing out in our town,” she said.
Cruz said she bought into the business in December 2023 and devoted her time to securing licensure, a location and a marketing plan.
“Ultimately, I had to leave the business with nothing but slander, pain and embarrassment to show for it,” she said.
Cruz said she was initially attracted to the company’s idea of using hemp and cannabis as transitional substances to help people get off harder drugs. She said serious issues began to unfold shortly after the business moved into the Bullard Street location in February this year.
She said she and Mathieu had different ideas of how the business should be run and there was a lack of cordiality toward other businesses and a “borderline cult-like environment.”
Cruz said she cut ties with the business at the end of February, forfeiting her investment, and apologized that her involvement in the company caused problems.
“I would like to urge Michael and Grateful Living LLC Associates to apologize, to be cordial, to not be so confrontational and to adopt ethical and sanitary business practices. I would urge this council to do everything within the scope of appropriate power to hold them accountable to this,” she said.
As to what action the town can take, District 4 Councilor Guadalupe Cano addressed that in her comments earlier in the meeting.
She said that last month, she called for a meeting with District 3 Councilor Stan Snider, whose district splits the downtown area with hers, Assistant Town Manager James Marshall, Town Attorney Jim Reynolds, Police Chief Freddie Portillo and Capt. Melinda Hobbs, code enforcement officers and about 15 downtown merchants. They heard presentations on the difference between cannabis and hemp products and the laws for both, she said.
“Then we had a very frank discussion about what the state laws do and do not allow us to regulate. After an hourlong discussion, a consensus was reached about potential next steps in dealing with the issue the town faces,” Cano said. “All 25 people in that room nodded in agreement of those steps, and we left hopeful that things will be dealt with following town ordinances and procedures in place in a way that is fair for all parties involved.”
Four days later, a Facebook post about the situation appeared, but Cano said it left out the fact the person who posted it had been in the meeting and never voiced any disagreement with the plan that was reached.
“In the post, it was stated that the town had told the poster she was out of options and there was nothing to be done. That is 100 percent incorrect and not factual,” Cano said.
She said it was also untrue to say town staff and the council do not care about the situation and are not working to improve it.
“The reality is that when dealing with any issue in the town, there are procedures that absolutely must be followed before any decisions can be made legally. You can’t just go off hearsay or social media posts in starting any proceedings or making any decision,” Cano said. “This is to protect every member of our community. Everyone is entitled to the same process whether we agree with your actions or not.”
Cano also had a few things to say about the increasing tendency of people to complain in Silver City. Some complaints are valid, she said, but others are disturbing because they contain threats and vile behaviors.
“I don’t know if it’s just the fact that I’ve lived here all my life, and many of those who have been calling recently are very recent transplants to the area, so maybe that’s the difference,” she said.
Cano said the way her parents and grandparents lived and taught her generation was when there was an issue, go directly to the person to try to work it out. “We didn’t take our phones out and start recording our neighbors’ every move and then bring it to the Town Council to deal with,” she said. “We also didn’t call our elected officials and make unfounded accusations about our neighbors.
“Unfortunately, that seems to be the new trend, and honestly, I think it’s starting to make Silver City an ugly place,” Cano continued. “If you find yourself with a neighbor that has a different ethnicity or a different culture than you are, that’s not a reason to make their life miserable. If you don’t like your neighbors, just don’t engage. The property owner or renter across the street has just as much right to enjoy their home as you do.”
Juno Ogle may be reached at [email protected].
Check out all the other amazing businesses in downtown Silver City
