Crime

Profile offers Window into Controversial Ex-Cop on Michigan Marijuana Licensing Board

February 08, 2019, 1:28 PM by  Violet Ikonomova


Ex-Sgt. Don Bailey, back when he was busting folks. (Photo: Change.org)

In just about every news story involving Michigan's marijuana licensing board, you can find ex-Michigan State Police Sergeant Donald Bailey at the heart of the controversy, advocating for an extreme.

In September 2017, just after the board to award lucrative marijuana business licenses was seated, Bailey recommended shutting all dispensaries until the new licenses could go out (it would have been a long wait: it's now 2019 and the board is still making decisions). The Snyder appointee was overruled.

Late last year, Bailey voted to deny ex-Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson's bid for a grow operation and dispensary, citing unpaid traffic tickets. The issue, Bailey said, was that Johnson had waited years to deal with the tickets — a sign he might not be forthright in "this highly regulated market."

For many pro-pot folks, the explanation for Bailey's approach to marijauna regulation is simple: He's a narc. During nearly 40 years in law enforcement in Michigan, he was reportedly involved in drug busts and even trained with the Drug Enforcement Agency.

But for those seeking a more nuanced explanation, Bridge Magazine has just published 3,200 words on Bailey, his motivations, and what "keeps him up at night." (Spoiler alert: It's weed people flouting the rules.)

Here's a taste:

Bailey’s critics say his law enforcement slant does a disservice to medical marijuana patients. At the first board meeting in 2017, other board members stressed the need for fairness to those seeking licenses, with one saying, “we’re all in this together.” When it was Bailey’s turn, he spoke instead of drug deals gone bad, shootings, and a hash oil lab explosion.

More than a year and a half later, law enforcement is still top of mind. And the love is mutual, he notes: While marijuana advocates revile him, police officers tell him all the time he’s doing the right thing.

The legalization of adult use marijuana late last year will lead to explosive growth in the black market, Bailey predicted, and there won’t be enough resources to enforce the laws.

It’s what keeps him up at night. “Nobody,” he said, “is prepared for what’s coming.”

An online petition urges Attorney General Dana Nessel to remove Bailey from the board. 


Read more:  Bridge Magazine


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