ANN ARBOR (WXYZ) – “We don’t want them using the playground as a place to party,” said Sherry Doughty of a cannabis-use lounge that’s slated to open about 400 feet from the Montessori school that she runs on the outskirts downtown Ann Arbor.
Doughty said she understands people who use marijuana for pain and discomfort, but she is concerned that the recreational cannabis lounge is so close to the school, which has been a staple in the neighborhood for decades.
“When people are walking around in the open air, and when that affects our employees and our children,” she said.
The Holistic Industries Consumption Lounge is adjacent to the Liberty Ann Arbor retail pharmacy already operating on Ashley Street.
A spokesman said the lounge is expected to be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
“We are excited to bring Michigan’s first cannabis use lounge to Ann Arbor and to create a unique experience for the many people in Ann Arbor who agree that life with cannabis is better,” the spokesman said in a statement 7 Action News: “By providing a safe, designated space for consumption, we are helping remove some of the potential barriers cannabis patients and consumers face after purchasing and consuming products.”
Ken Land, a therapist who owns a nearby house that he has converted into offices, including his own, said he found it hard to object to the pharmacy when it opened for his legalization of cannabis use supported.
Still, Land had concerns.
“I don’t want a bunch of dumbbells walking around acting like a bunch of fools, do I?” he asked.
Land said he should take a positive approach and try to work with his newer neighbors in the cannabis industry to get the most of it.
“If they get out of line, I get grumpy,” Land said. “But if not, live and let live.”
It is unclear when the lounge will open.
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