Parents say Girl Scouts couldn’t sell cookies near Walled Lake marijuana store, officials say

LACUL WALLED, Mich. – Girl Scout troops in Metro Detroit have been banned from selling cookies outside a marijuana dispensary in Walled Lake, but leaders of local organizations say the troops have been given false information.

Last weekend, Oakland County Girl Scouts were greeted outside the Greenhouse of Walled Lake cannabis store by owner Jerry Millen, who authorized the girls to sell cookies outside his dispensary. According to Millen, the girls sold more than 1,000 boxes over a six-hour period.

After their successful sales, several scout troops asked Millen if they could sell cookies outside of the Series, which Millen approved. Several Girl Scouts were planning to sell cookies outside the Walled Lake store this weekend until they were notified by the local council that it was not allowed, Millen and local parents said.

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Millen says one of the Girl Scout parents received a phone call from the leaders of the Girl Scout Council in southeast Michigan, who said the sale of cookies outside the marijuana facilities was against their policy.

“I’m incredibly disappointed that the powers that make up Girl Scouts in the United States are throwing cold water on the entrepreneurial spirit of these young women,” Millen said in a news release Friday. “Lake Walled Greenhouse is a legal entity and a major contributor to the community. Scouts are seen all the time selling these delicious delicacies in front of grocery stores, alcoholic beverages, etc. I hope these people reconsider their position. ”

According to local Girl Scout co-leader Jennifer Slayden, the council reportedly said members were not allowed to sell cookies outside marijuana dispensaries because children were not allowed to enter cannabis stores. Slayden was not the recipient of this phone call.

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Slayden believes that banning the sale of cookies outside cannabis stores would be hypocritical, as troops are allowed to sell cookies outside stores that sell alcohol – which children cannot legally consume.

“If you’re allowed to sell outside of a liquor store, what’s the difference?” If all the parents and the business owner agree, I think it should be good enough, ”Slayden said. “In the law of scouts, the first line is ‘I will do my best to be honest and fair.’ So we teach girls to be fair, when in fact we are not fair. ”

In a statement to Local 4, a Girl Scouts spokeswoman in Southeast Michigan said local troops were reportedly unable to sell outside the greenhouse store and were given incorrect information. that there is no such policy as prohibiting troops from selling cookies outside marijuana stores.

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“Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan (GSSEM) does not have a policy that prohibits troops from selling cookies to or near any legally operating company. The national organization Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts from the USA, discourages the troops from selling in places where girls cannot enter legally, however, there is no policy that prohibits the sale of such businesses “, the communiqué reads.

“GSSEM troops are allowed to establish the stand’s own sales data without GSSEM approval. In this case, GSSEM did not have any information about this stand or the band, because it did not register the stand to be included in our cookie location application. Again, this is not a necessary action, and troops do not have to notify GSSEM when setting up booths. I contacted the leader of the troops to help and clarify any confusion. “

Michigan children can legally use cannabis products if they are enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program, which must be approved by their parents or legal guardians, in addition to two licensed physicians. It is unclear whether registered minors are allowed to enter licensed marijuana facilities in Michigan, even if they are accompanied by an adult. According to the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency, parents who enroll their child in the state medical marijuana program are responsible for purchasing and administering their child’s medication.

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Believing that Girl Scouts can no longer sell cookies outside her store, Millen bought 300 boxes of cookies this weekend to offer to her customers.

Slayden said that if the troops were actually allowed to sell cookies outside the dispensary, which Girl Scouts officials say, the girls would be happy to “get back there.”

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