Resident accuses dispensary operator of racist conduct and urges council action on licensing oversight

At the Franklin Township Council meeting on April 22, a public speaker accused the owner of a recently opened dispensary on Franklin Boulevard of using racial slurs and requested the council and the township’s Cannabis Review Committee (CRC) take action.

Jack McLaughlin of Larson Road said his group applied under the state’s social-equity process and that larger outside operators had an advantage. He criticized the local roll-out, questioned why the township did not cap retail licenses earlier and said the council should have better protected opportunities for smaller, local applicants.

McLaughlin alleged that an employee at a dispensary his group singled out used the N-word on film and wrote racially offensive posts on social media; he said complaints were being filed with the CRC and that union counsel was preparing further action. “Complaints going to the CRC,” he told the council, and he urged the governing body to “shut them down” before the CRC acts.

Council members responded that licensing decisions had followed state processes. Council members also noted that the township’s revenue from cannabis sales is being treated as municipal tax revenue. Several council members expressed regret about the rollout and said the record shows the council relied on staff and state guidance when the licensing program began.

No formal council action on licensing was taken at the meeting, though the speaker’s allegations were recorded for the public record and noted as complaints being pursued through the CRC process.