EAST LANSING, Michigan – East Lansing City Council has decided to use a portion of the money from a recreational marijuana tax to treat substance abuse among individuals convicted of drug offenses by District Court 54B.
Mikayla Temple, WSYM, 2021.
The 54B District Court in downtown East Lansing.
The East Lansing Drug Court was established in 2016. The program has a maximum of 30 participants and currently 15 enrolled.
“With the drug court program we are dealing with candidates who have severe opioid, stimulant or sedative disorders,” said court administrator Nicole Evans.
An assessment conducted by a probation officer will determine which and how many programs a person must go through. Each program costs $ 25 per session. Evans said the time frame for drug court participants is approximately 18 months.
Most of the participants are eligible for a scholarship or are insured. However, some people do too much to be eligible for eligibility programs but cannot afford to pay for treatment.
Mikayla Temple, WSYM, 2021.
Some program participants are eligible for grants or insurance. Others find themselves caught in a pay gap where they earn too much to be eligible for coverage but not enough to afford treatment costs.
“Finances are a huge barrier, can be a huge barrier for any person going through the court,” Evans said.
The resolution passed by the city council this week allows up to $ 14,000 of the money they make in recreational marijuana taxes to help those falling into the wage gap.
“This money will not cover anyone who is in a drug treatment court or any of our treatment courts,” Evans said. “So these people will be the ones who may not meet the eligibility criteria.”
Michigan has a 10 percent excise tax on recreational marijuana sales, 15 percent of which goes to communities where stores are located. Last year East Lansing raised $ 28,000.
The remaining amount raised in 2021 will be placed in the general fund.
Evans said the money will come in handy when it comes to covering treatment costs.
“The cost for this is $ 200,” said Evans. “$ 14,000 will cover about 70 people.”
While the goal is to reduce treatment costs, it doesn’t mean that eligible participants don’t have to pay anything.
“The intent is not to use the money and wipe out all costs as there has to be some consequence to the charge or conviction,” Evans said.
She said the goal is to help the needy participants focus on their sobriety.
“The hope is that we will be able to address the needs of the participant and the individual who comes to our court and that this will improve and improve our community as a whole,” said Evans.
The money will be used based on availability, according to Evans. She said it would be distributed to help as many people as possible.
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