Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Pittston town officials have postponed a special town meeting scheduled for Jan. 25 to consider a proposed moratorium on marijuana-related businesses in town.
Instead, a public hearing is now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 to consider an outright ban of those businesses, and a special town meeting to vote on that is now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8.
Both the ban and the temporary ban will appear on the warrant as well as proposals to discontinue maintenance on two roads.
The new proposed ordinance would expressly ban shops, cultivation facilities, facilities that make marijuana products, retail testing facilities and social clubs.
"We were thinking we would give ourselves some time to figure out what to do," Jean Ambrose, Pittston select board member, said, by asking for a six-month moratorium. But at last week's public hearing, the residents who attended appeared to be leaning toward a complete ban.
"No one has been very vocal about it," Ambrose said, and the Town Office has not been fielding calls about it.
Last Saturday, a three-question poll went up on the town of Pittston's website. The questions are:
- Do you think that recreational marijuana retail operations should be completely banned in Pittston?
- If not completely banned, do you think that recreational marijuana retail operations should exist in Pittston with certain allowances and limitations?
- Are you a resident of Pittston?
Peter Coughlan, who manages the website for Pittston said as of Thursday, 94 people had voted and the vast majority of them were town residents. Of those, 52 percent voted for a ban, 45 percent voted against, and 3 percent had no opinion. Fifty-three percent of those who voted yes when asked if they favored regulating marijuana enterprises, 39 percent voted no and 8 percent had no opinion.
Coughlan said he saw a strong uptick in votes in the last few days.
In November, Maine voters narrowly voted to legalize personal use and possession of limited quantities of marijuana by voting yes on Question 1; with that vote came the option to have retail shops and social clubs.
But Pittston voters didn't endorse legalizing marijuana, also by a relatively narrow margin. The vote was 778 to 917.
Like every other city and town considering its options, Pittston officials are waiting to see what state officials will do. Ballot Question 1 gives the state nine months to develop regulations governing commercial operations, but that deadline may be extended under a bill introduced earlier this month.
Pittston has posted the proposed ordinances on its website, pittstonmaine.org.
In addition to the pot ban, voters will be asked whether to discontinue maintenance on the southern end of Ripley Road, beginning at the junction of Ripley and Clay roads and heading south to the Kennebec River, and on Bailey Road.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pittston To Consider Banning All Marijuana Businesses
Author: Jessica Lowell
Contact: (207) 623-3811
Photo Credit: Gabe Souza
Website: Central Maine
Instead, a public hearing is now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 1 to consider an outright ban of those businesses, and a special town meeting to vote on that is now scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 8.
Both the ban and the temporary ban will appear on the warrant as well as proposals to discontinue maintenance on two roads.
The new proposed ordinance would expressly ban shops, cultivation facilities, facilities that make marijuana products, retail testing facilities and social clubs.
"We were thinking we would give ourselves some time to figure out what to do," Jean Ambrose, Pittston select board member, said, by asking for a six-month moratorium. But at last week's public hearing, the residents who attended appeared to be leaning toward a complete ban.
"No one has been very vocal about it," Ambrose said, and the Town Office has not been fielding calls about it.
Last Saturday, a three-question poll went up on the town of Pittston's website. The questions are:
- Do you think that recreational marijuana retail operations should be completely banned in Pittston?
- If not completely banned, do you think that recreational marijuana retail operations should exist in Pittston with certain allowances and limitations?
- Are you a resident of Pittston?
Peter Coughlan, who manages the website for Pittston said as of Thursday, 94 people had voted and the vast majority of them were town residents. Of those, 52 percent voted for a ban, 45 percent voted against, and 3 percent had no opinion. Fifty-three percent of those who voted yes when asked if they favored regulating marijuana enterprises, 39 percent voted no and 8 percent had no opinion.
Coughlan said he saw a strong uptick in votes in the last few days.
In November, Maine voters narrowly voted to legalize personal use and possession of limited quantities of marijuana by voting yes on Question 1; with that vote came the option to have retail shops and social clubs.
But Pittston voters didn't endorse legalizing marijuana, also by a relatively narrow margin. The vote was 778 to 917.
Like every other city and town considering its options, Pittston officials are waiting to see what state officials will do. Ballot Question 1 gives the state nine months to develop regulations governing commercial operations, but that deadline may be extended under a bill introduced earlier this month.
Pittston has posted the proposed ordinances on its website, pittstonmaine.org.
In addition to the pot ban, voters will be asked whether to discontinue maintenance on the southern end of Ripley Road, beginning at the junction of Ripley and Clay roads and heading south to the Kennebec River, and on Bailey Road.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Pittston To Consider Banning All Marijuana Businesses
Author: Jessica Lowell
Contact: (207) 623-3811
Photo Credit: Gabe Souza
Website: Central Maine
