Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Heading to the polls in force Tuesday, voters backed a ban on recreational marijuana shops and grow and testing facilities in town.
The Milford Daily News reports the referendum, with 56.3 percent of voters supporting the prohibition, came less than a year after a majority of Milford voters supported legalizing the drug in a statewide election.
Donna Niro, chairwoman of Milford Community Against Recreational Marijuana Retail Establishments (CARES), said the results indicate voters are concerned with what local marijuana shops could mean for underage drug users and Milford's reputation.
"This is very positive and I think that's what the voters had in mind: protecting the health of their children; keeping Milford a safe community to live in; and protecting Milford's image," she said.
Town Meeting voters will decide whether they will make the ban official next month. A meeting vote is needed to create zoning bylaws that prohibit the businesses, officials have said.
Tuesday's vote garnered attention from across Massachusetts since Milford was the first to conduct a referendum after state lawmakers updated recreational marijuana laws this summer to detail how communities could opt out of hosting marijuana businesses.
Those who voted "Yes," or in favor of the ban, said they worried local retail shops would put the drug within arms reach of children and teenagers and burden public safety officials.
The stores would work against attracting family-friendly businesses, Niro said.
Several town officials, including the Board of Selectmen, voiced support for a ban.
"We are really invested in this community," said Niro, holding a 'Yes' vote sign in front of the Milford Portuguese Club Tuesday afternoon. "Some of us are multiple generation residents...We really want to preserve (the town's) image and the reputation it holds."
But opponents, including the Milford Citizens for Fairness group, said that without a ban the town could regulate the drug and give medical marijuana users an option to purchase it in their town.
They said holding the referendum oversteps voter support of legal marijuana last November.
Milford voted 51.9 percent in favor - with about a 500-vote margin - of the state ballot to legalize recreational use at the time. On Tuesday, 43.7 percent of voters voted against banning businesses.
The ban also restricts the town's two medical marijuana businesses from expanding into testing and growing the drug for recreational use, and could mean both will need to relocate to compete with competitors, their owners said.
"We are disappointed by the outcome of the referendum and continue to be concerned about whether it accurately reflects the will of the residents of Milford, who so strongly supported legalization of recreational marijuana in last fall's high-turnout election," Milford Citizens for Fairness spokesman Bryan Cole said in an emailed statement.
By 3 p.m. Tuesday, 2,398 votes had been cast - a number that jumped to 5,378 with 29.6 percent voter turnout by the time polls closed at 8 p.m., according to officials.
Poll workers said turnout exceeded some expectations for a local ballot.
"I'm surprised by the number of people coming in and out," said Precinct 8 Warden Kathy Consigli.
Discussion over the proposed ban filled social media for weeks ahead of the referendum. Citizen groups often took to the streets to advertise their messages, including during a forum last week organized by Milford CARES.
Leaving the polls, those who voted to support the ban said they don't want to see Milford change.
Allowing marijuana shops to open would send the wrong message to children and teenagers about drug use, they said.
"We need to think about children and they're being led in the wrong direction," said May Richards, standing outside the Milford Senior Center.
She held a sign that read, "Less pot, less trouble."
"It just makes it seem like it's alright to the kids," voter Sharon Cole said, adding though she was unsure how she felt about prohibiting testing and cultivation businesses.
Niro dismissed the worries of local companies like Sage Naturals and ProVerde Laboratories - that cultivate and test medical marijuana, respectively - that a ban would force them to leave town in order to grow their business and create jobs.
"I have a hard time wrapping my arms around that ... It's a scare tactic," she said.
Critics of the referendum lamented over confusion they said was caused by the ballot's language, which changed last month to include banning marijuana businesses like testing and grow facilities.
"The group behind this ballot did everything they could to quickly and quietly push this vote through, and the process was never fair or transparent," Bryan Cole said in his statement. "That is bad government and it is bad for Milford."
Company executives for Sage Naturals - whose employees held 'No' signs outside polls - and ProVerde Laboratories have said they anticipate most of the business in their industry will shift to recreational marijuana, once state laws allow retail sales to begin next year.
Continuing to operate solely through medical marijuana business would be challenging, if possible, they said.
"We just want to provide jobs and be a good neighbor," said Robert Edelstein, chairman of the board for Sage Naturals.
The ballot language was frustrating to him, he said, in part because voters did not have a choice to ban retail shops without banning all recreational marijuana-based businesses.
Town Meeting voters will need to determine whether the ban is made official next month.
"We made it this far and we're going to just keep pushing on and hope for the best," Niro said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Massachusetts town votes to ban recreational marijuana shops
Author: Christopher Gavin
Contact: Contact Us
Photo Credit: Columbia Care
Website: Boston News, Weather and Sports - Massachusetts News - WCVB Channel 5
The Milford Daily News reports the referendum, with 56.3 percent of voters supporting the prohibition, came less than a year after a majority of Milford voters supported legalizing the drug in a statewide election.
Donna Niro, chairwoman of Milford Community Against Recreational Marijuana Retail Establishments (CARES), said the results indicate voters are concerned with what local marijuana shops could mean for underage drug users and Milford's reputation.
"This is very positive and I think that's what the voters had in mind: protecting the health of their children; keeping Milford a safe community to live in; and protecting Milford's image," she said.
Town Meeting voters will decide whether they will make the ban official next month. A meeting vote is needed to create zoning bylaws that prohibit the businesses, officials have said.
Tuesday's vote garnered attention from across Massachusetts since Milford was the first to conduct a referendum after state lawmakers updated recreational marijuana laws this summer to detail how communities could opt out of hosting marijuana businesses.
Those who voted "Yes," or in favor of the ban, said they worried local retail shops would put the drug within arms reach of children and teenagers and burden public safety officials.
The stores would work against attracting family-friendly businesses, Niro said.
Several town officials, including the Board of Selectmen, voiced support for a ban.
"We are really invested in this community," said Niro, holding a 'Yes' vote sign in front of the Milford Portuguese Club Tuesday afternoon. "Some of us are multiple generation residents...We really want to preserve (the town's) image and the reputation it holds."
But opponents, including the Milford Citizens for Fairness group, said that without a ban the town could regulate the drug and give medical marijuana users an option to purchase it in their town.
They said holding the referendum oversteps voter support of legal marijuana last November.
Milford voted 51.9 percent in favor - with about a 500-vote margin - of the state ballot to legalize recreational use at the time. On Tuesday, 43.7 percent of voters voted against banning businesses.
The ban also restricts the town's two medical marijuana businesses from expanding into testing and growing the drug for recreational use, and could mean both will need to relocate to compete with competitors, their owners said.
"We are disappointed by the outcome of the referendum and continue to be concerned about whether it accurately reflects the will of the residents of Milford, who so strongly supported legalization of recreational marijuana in last fall's high-turnout election," Milford Citizens for Fairness spokesman Bryan Cole said in an emailed statement.
By 3 p.m. Tuesday, 2,398 votes had been cast - a number that jumped to 5,378 with 29.6 percent voter turnout by the time polls closed at 8 p.m., according to officials.
Poll workers said turnout exceeded some expectations for a local ballot.
"I'm surprised by the number of people coming in and out," said Precinct 8 Warden Kathy Consigli.
Discussion over the proposed ban filled social media for weeks ahead of the referendum. Citizen groups often took to the streets to advertise their messages, including during a forum last week organized by Milford CARES.
Leaving the polls, those who voted to support the ban said they don't want to see Milford change.
Allowing marijuana shops to open would send the wrong message to children and teenagers about drug use, they said.
"We need to think about children and they're being led in the wrong direction," said May Richards, standing outside the Milford Senior Center.
She held a sign that read, "Less pot, less trouble."
"It just makes it seem like it's alright to the kids," voter Sharon Cole said, adding though she was unsure how she felt about prohibiting testing and cultivation businesses.
Niro dismissed the worries of local companies like Sage Naturals and ProVerde Laboratories - that cultivate and test medical marijuana, respectively - that a ban would force them to leave town in order to grow their business and create jobs.
"I have a hard time wrapping my arms around that ... It's a scare tactic," she said.
Critics of the referendum lamented over confusion they said was caused by the ballot's language, which changed last month to include banning marijuana businesses like testing and grow facilities.
"The group behind this ballot did everything they could to quickly and quietly push this vote through, and the process was never fair or transparent," Bryan Cole said in his statement. "That is bad government and it is bad for Milford."
Company executives for Sage Naturals - whose employees held 'No' signs outside polls - and ProVerde Laboratories have said they anticipate most of the business in their industry will shift to recreational marijuana, once state laws allow retail sales to begin next year.
Continuing to operate solely through medical marijuana business would be challenging, if possible, they said.
"We just want to provide jobs and be a good neighbor," said Robert Edelstein, chairman of the board for Sage Naturals.
The ballot language was frustrating to him, he said, in part because voters did not have a choice to ban retail shops without banning all recreational marijuana-based businesses.
Town Meeting voters will need to determine whether the ban is made official next month.
"We made it this far and we're going to just keep pushing on and hope for the best," Niro said.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Massachusetts town votes to ban recreational marijuana shops
Author: Christopher Gavin
Contact: Contact Us
Photo Credit: Columbia Care
Website: Boston News, Weather and Sports - Massachusetts News - WCVB Channel 5
