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Massachusetts - Medical marijuana facilities should be allowed in all business, industrial and office park districts in town, the Zoning Advisory Committee said Monday night. The committee is in the process of drafting a zoning bylaw to govern this new type of facility legalized last fall by a statewide referendum vote.
Monday's vote is only the first step toward creating a medical marijuana bylaw. Town Meeting voters must ultimately approve any changes to the law. Although the seven committee members didn't always agree, the group ultimately voted to allow dispensaries in every zone except residential and agricultural.
The committee said it wanted to allow dispensaries by right in all the zones except office and professional parks, which will need a special permit from the Planning Board. State regulations suggest dispensaries also not locate within 500 feet of schools, daycares or other areas where children usually congregate, such as sports fields and the public library. Committee member Sandy Altamura staunchly supported lax rules on the facilities, saying there should be no buffer zones. "I think the purchase of marijuana should be as easy as getting aspirin," she said.
But the group instead voted to accept the police chief's suggestion to add churches, temples, synagogues and other places of worship to the list of facilities that get a buffer zone. The committee Monday night struggled with the many unknowns about what the medical marijuana industry will look like in the Bay State. Only five dispensaries will be allowed in the first year of legalization in Middlesex County.
The committee discussed how many customers a facility might attract, how big a marijuana greenhouse could be, hours of operation, and whether big trucks or out-of-towners might come. "They're not going to be coming out smoking," Altamura said. Several members said they don't expect dispensaries to come to Hopkinton anyway. "They're going to want to go to heavy retail corridors. That's not what we are," committee member Ria McNamara said.
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Metrowestdailynews.com
Author: Staff
Contact: The MetroWest Daily News Contact Us
Website: Hopkinton closer to creating medical marijuana bylaw - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
Monday's vote is only the first step toward creating a medical marijuana bylaw. Town Meeting voters must ultimately approve any changes to the law. Although the seven committee members didn't always agree, the group ultimately voted to allow dispensaries in every zone except residential and agricultural.
The committee said it wanted to allow dispensaries by right in all the zones except office and professional parks, which will need a special permit from the Planning Board. State regulations suggest dispensaries also not locate within 500 feet of schools, daycares or other areas where children usually congregate, such as sports fields and the public library. Committee member Sandy Altamura staunchly supported lax rules on the facilities, saying there should be no buffer zones. "I think the purchase of marijuana should be as easy as getting aspirin," she said.
But the group instead voted to accept the police chief's suggestion to add churches, temples, synagogues and other places of worship to the list of facilities that get a buffer zone. The committee Monday night struggled with the many unknowns about what the medical marijuana industry will look like in the Bay State. Only five dispensaries will be allowed in the first year of legalization in Middlesex County.
The committee discussed how many customers a facility might attract, how big a marijuana greenhouse could be, hours of operation, and whether big trucks or out-of-towners might come. "They're not going to be coming out smoking," Altamura said. Several members said they don't expect dispensaries to come to Hopkinton anyway. "They're going to want to go to heavy retail corridors. That's not what we are," committee member Ria McNamara said.
News Hawk - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Metrowestdailynews.com
Author: Staff
Contact: The MetroWest Daily News Contact Us
Website: Hopkinton closer to creating medical marijuana bylaw - Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
