COMPANY PITCHES IN
Medical marijuana brings funding to city community projects
Early this week a new mural was dedicated at Rosie’s Park in Madison Heights with funding from Holistic Industries, a medical marijuana business building a new $20 million facility on Stephenson Highway.
Holistic funded the $5,500 cost of installing the colorful mural — called “Nature’s Repose” by Madison Heights artist Jennifer Ramirez — on the concession stand at the park.
The mural is part of a move by the Madison Heights Arts Board to bring more art to public green space in the city. Earlier, the Arts Board did fundraising for a mural at Civic Center Park.
The Arts Board had to suspend most of its fundraising because of the COVID-19 pandemic and sought funding from local businesses.
That’s when Holistic Industries, which is constructing its cannabis Super Center at 29600 Stephenson, stepped up.
City Manager Melissa Marsh said Holistic previously donated $3,500 toward sponsoring an Arbor Day tree planting.
“The city has community outreach agreements with both of the (medical marijuana) companies in Madison Heights to donate to nonprofit community projects,” Marsh said.
The other agreement is with Alternative RX, a medical marijuana company planning to open at the site of the former Madison Athletic Club, 2 Ajax Drive. Alternative RX also donated $3.500 to the Arbor Day tree planting event.
“Each of the companies will donate $25,000 annually and 1 percent of their net profits” to community projects, Marsh said.
The funds from the two medical marijuana companies is overseen by a community advisory board composed of city officials, residents and one member from each company.
The funding plan appears to be off to a good start.
“Sponsoring the new mural (at Rosie’s Park) and bringing art and nature to the city is just one of the many initiatives we are working on with Holistic Industries over the next few years,” said Mayor Roslyn Grafstein in a statement. “Strong community partnerships like we are developing with Holistic Industries allow us to invest in quality-of-life programs and enhance our daily life for our residents beyond the basic necessities.”
Holistic is on track to finish construction and open its facility next spring, Marsh said.
The Cannabis Super Center will serve as Holistic Industries headquarters in Michigan and include medical marijuana retail, cultivation and manufacturing components.
Similarly, growing, manufacturing and sales are planned for the Alternative RX facility.
More than 100 jobs will be created in the city at Holistic’s Cannabis Super Center, which will cover 65,000 square feet.
“We are excited that ... Madison Heights welcomed us into the community with such open arms,” said Rabbi James Kahn, director of community outreach at Holistic Industries, in a statement after Sunday’s dedication of the mural at Rosie’s Park. “In addition to community beautification projects and cannabis education initiatives, we are working closely with Mayor Grafstein and other civic leaders and community stakeholders to address the needs of the community.”