Hoffman says cannabis lawsuits will soon be in the past

MENOMINEE — Menominee Mayor Casey Hoffman said cannabis lawsuits in the city will soon be in the past.

“Within my first 60 days as mayor, the Menominee City Council has forced Rize and The Fire Station to sign settlement language in their license agreements which will end the vast majority of litigation facing our city,” Hoffman said on Wednesday. “That’s a big move. That’s pretty impressive.”

He said Rize and The Fire Station checked a box on their license renewals indicating they will not engage in any future lawsuits with the city. He also had a message for Rize attorney Mike Cox.

“I personally take no pleasure in wiping the floor with attorney Mike Cox, but it had to be done,” Hoffman said.

Cox, contacted today (Thursday), scoffed at the comment, stating it’s “just a young guy trying to make a name for himself.”

He said while no future litigation is allowed, there still is a case to be decided.

“The city’s attorneys, the city manager know that the current lawsuit continues — that the renewal is only for future potential (legal) action. Otherwise we wouldn’t have signed it,” Cox said.

Hoffman said attorneys for the city and Rize and The Fire Station are currently working on a settlement agreement that should be completed in the next 30 days and approved at a special council meeting.

“There is no settlement agreement. He’s just lying to you,” Cox said. “We reached an agreement with the city that came up for presentation, and mayor Hoffman tried to undo it. He’s unable to pass the Michigan State Bar exam, but apparently he knows more than I, or the two city attorneys or any other attorneys here.”

Cox spoke about Rize’s experience and presence in the state.

“We told them we operate in a number of cities,” he said. “We won our license fair and square because we were willing to invest the most in Menominee — that’s why we got picked to begin with. We want to have a good relationship with the city, but you have to fix some things ... settlement talks should be private. Our attitude is, we are open to a settlement. Any time the city wants to talk about it, we’re open. We hope to someday reach a settlement. If we don’t, we suspect that (Circuit) Judge (Mary B.) Barglind will ultimately rule the city’s ordinance creating unlimited licenses is in violation of Michigan law.”

The next court date is March 20.

Hoffman said while no settlement agreement is legally required, the City Council, “in an act of unprecedented goodwill has agreed to review one final settlement from Rize and The Fire Station to show them that we want to be good neighbors.”

“I intend to review that agreement very carefully,” the mayor continued. “It took skillful lawyering to get here, but Menominee’s marijuana lawsuits are finally circling the drain. We want Rize and The Fire Station to stay in Menominee. We hope the settlement could be a kind gesture toward a new and improved relationship.”

Cox repeated that a settlement was already reached, but Hoffman and others “blew it up.”

“I wouldn’t take what Mr. Hoffman says to the bank, “ he said. “I’ve been doing this for 35 years, generally when you reach a deal with the attorneys, it happens. But rarely do things happen in Menominee the way they do the rest of the state.”

Hoffman admits it’s been difficult for cannabis businesses as the city started with a total ban on cannabis, moved to limited and then to uncapped.

“Menominee is a cautionary tale when it comes to legalizing marijuana,” he said. “The previous city council and the previous mayor bungled the legalization in Menominee worse than anything I could have ever imagined.”

Hoffman explained why he believes Rize and The Fire Station ultimately checked the box on their renewals.

“Rize and The Fire Station knew that they were legally out-maneuvered,” he said. “If they didn’t check the box, they would have been shut down by the end of the month. The had to check the box in order to stay open and continue making money. I knew that without a license they wouldn’t be making any money. And I knew that both of these companies love money more than anything else. Now, because of a much tougher negotiation strategy, the lawsuits that have plagued Menominee are about to be done.”

Hoffman said he’s fulfilling what he promised voters.

“I was elected to help clean up this mess like a good janitor,” he said. “That’s exactly what I intend to do. We have these lawsuits circling the drain and I’m looking forward to finishing the job.”