Voters in town after town on the Capon Islands and across Massachusetts have logged their
views on local implementation of the new Massachusetts recreational marijuana legislation.
Brewster is the latest.
Well, Monday is the Brewster Town Meeting.
It starts at 7 o'clock.
There are 14 articles that are on the warrant.
Two articles that are most important to folks have to deal with the marijuana issue.
Legal recreational marijuana in Massachusetts is a fact.
Voters statewide approved a referendum question in November 2016, and in July 2017, Governor
Charlie Baker signed the bill into law.
The vote was to legalize or not legalize recreational use of marijuana.
Statewide the issue carried, which then requires each community to make the decision relative
to retail facilities in their community.
The legislation includes two key elements for local control, zoning and taxing.
Our people in the community who say, look, it's legalized while we don't necessarily
want to see a row of retail establishments, let's say, on 6A, there are some folks who
said that we should at least be able to gather some of the tax money and use it locally.
There are others who have said, well, if we vote for the ban, it still doesn't mean that
the issue of marijuana in the community is going to suddenly disappear.
There are people who have strong opinions that marijuana could lead to other harder
drug use by the general population, also concerned about the effect that it may have on the youth
in the community.
Massachusetts law allows each town to decide both if and under what conditions it will
allow marijuana related business.
It also allows towns to impose a 3% local tax on such activities.
Brewster has two questions to answer at its town meeting, first, if, and second, how.
So Article 10 is the warrant article that would ban all marijuana establishments in
the community.
And I think people need to be aware that not only is it a quote-unquote marijuana store,
but it includes marijuana cultivators, independent testing laboratories, marijuana product manufacturers,
marijuana retailers, or any other types of licensed marijuana related businesses.
That definition comes from the state legislature.
It was not established by Brewster or the planning board or the board of selectmen.
If fewer than two-thirds vote for a full ban, the town can set up time to figure out the
how.
Let's say that the two-thirds majority that's required is not attained.
Then we go to Article Number 11, which would establish a moratorium.
The purpose for the moratorium would then allow the town the opportunity and the time
to put together regulations related to the marijuana establishments where they would
or would not be allowed in the community.
Thalmouth recently voted for a total ban, while East Ham, Orleans, and Nantucket supported
a moratorium.
And now it's Brewster's turn.
