Suburban housewife Nancy Botwin, main character in the TV series Weeds, seems to have much in common with three women from Grand Haven: Rebecca Neil, Jamie Cooper and Andrea Hendrick. These three middle-aged blonds have interests in the marijuana industry and have been very busy over the past few years. Rebecca, Jamie, and Andrea have taken on various roles connecting with politicians and businessmen, making contacts with investors, and entering the political arena. They are good friends, and appear to be part of the local marijuana super team, operating behind the scenes in their own personal self-interests.
The marijuana business is new and constantly evolving. Growing and processing takes tremendous amounts of energy, and financing operations is tricky because marijuana is illegal at the federal level. Banks are reluctant to get involved, leaving those interested in building businesses to look for investors. These ladies have run for office, gotten involved in marketing and worked towards opening facilities. Here are some of their stories.
When the market was opened for recreational stores, the medical establishments received priority on permits regardless of whether or not they had opened their businesses. Rebecca Neil, co-owner of the marijuana provisioning center to be located at 1021 Jackson Street, began construction in June 2023, but Rebecca does not appear to own the property. Rebecca had a medical marijuana provisioning center permit, but had not started construction of her facility.
According to the Grand Haven special land use permitting ordinance, “Applications for new facility permits where no building is as yet in existence: Any applicant for commercial, whose building is not yet in existence at the time of the city's special land use permit, shall have one year immediately following the date of the city's special land use permit approval to obtain a building permit and COMMENCE construction.”
The word COMPLETE to COMMENCE was recently changed in the city’s ordinance. The change was discussed during the June 6, 2022 meeting of the Grand Haven City Council, and finalized during the June 20, 2022 meeting. When the Grand Haven City Council made this word change, it effectively granted Rebecca Neil, the owner of a pre-approved permit with hopes of opening a marijuana provisioning center on Jackson Street, the necessary approval.
Construction for the marijuana dispensary at 1021 Jackson Street, located near Lake Michigan Credit Union, commenced in July 2023. The property was sold in October 2019 for $285,000 and again in September 2022 for $900,000.
Marzin Samona is a true behind-the-scenes person, very successful businessman, and appears to be a partner in the Jackson Street facility. LARA records show he is the owner of over 400 businesses in Michigan including Wild Bill’s Tobacco located at 406 N Beacon in Grand Haven. He is also the Registered Agent for the property located at 1021 Jackson Street as well as the registered agent for several other cannabis businesses in Michigan. He has contributed $62,583.35 to the A Better Michigan political action committee (PAC) which has made campaign contributions to powerful politicians, including $10,000 to Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
According to Crain’s Business Detroit, “The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency in August [2019] denied 38 license applications filled by president and co-owner of the tobacco chain, Mazin Samona, and his in-house attorney Paul Weisberger.” The licenses were denied on the basis of Mazin Samona’s lengthy criminal record which includes assault involving prostitutes, fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct, and falsifying a birth certificate. Marijuana applications require non-refundable fees of $6,000 each. The denial resulted in a $228,000 loss. In addition, Samona has paid over $500,000 in fines, and since being denied licenses, the article states his company has “bought its way into several local licenses by acquiring interests in unopened shops that already received local approval.”
Rebecca Neil and Jamie Cooper are the public face of the Jackson Street marijuana provisioning center under construction.
In addition to partnering with Rebecca Neil on the Jackson Street store, Jamie Cooper is the marketing director of the Michigan marijuana magazine Sensi. Jamie Cooper lost a bid to become a Grand Haven City Council member in 2019, and around 2018 Jamie Cooper and Rebecca Neil teamed up with Her Canna Life and Elle Menta Woman to bring Cannabis discussion groups to Grand Haven focused on Women's health.
Rebecca Neil made an appearance on the Cannabis X Real Estate panel hosted by M-Live on May 24, 2022. Around the 7-minute mark she talks about her experience trying to open a marijuana provisioning center in Grand Haven.
https://events.mlive.com/cannabisinsider
Like Andrea Hendrick, Jamie Cooper seems to have political ambitions. When she was running to be on the Grand Haven City Council, she was featured in High Times Magazine where it stated Grand Haven School board President John Siemion wrote a letter in support of Jamie Cooper.
Rebecca Neil and Jamie Cooper are friends with Grand Haven mayoral candidate Andrea Hendrick. They worked together on the Grand Haven Energy Organization which rebranded itself as the Board of Light and Power Charter Change Coalition (BLPCCC) and is working to change the charter of the City of Grand Haven to place the Board of Light and Power (BLP) under the control of the city council.
Rebecca, Jamie and Andrea are all administrators on the Facebook group Smart and Safe Grand Haven. “The purpose of the Smart and Safe Grand Haven initiative is to authorize the establishment of licensed marijuana facilities in the City of Grand Haven.”
Weeds was a very entertaining series, doubling as propaganda meant to change public perception of marijuana. What do you think of these partnerships operating behind the scenes in our local community?