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Massachusetts - A medical marijuana dispensary is "almost certain" to open in Brookline, according to the chairwoman of the Brookline Board of Selectmen, and Town Meeting overwhelmingly passed three warrant articles on Tuesday, Nov. 19, that cleared the way for a dispensary to open up shop. Article 5, 6, and 7 were intended to set up a licensing framework for medical marijuana purveyors.
The first of the three established background checks for executives, directors and managers, as well as the license holder, and requires fingerprinting for all. That article passed by a vote of 182-4. Articles 6 and 7 sought to end the moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries that was voted for at Town Meeting in May of this year as well as set up regulations for the business. Article 6 passed by a vote of 210-4, and Article 7 passed by a vote of 208-7.
The latter specifically requires any medical marijuana dispensary to be located at least 500 feet away from any K-12 school. The state regulations call for such entities to also be 500 feet away from daycare facilities or any place where "children commonly congregate," but town officials felt such restrictions would greatly limit the amount of areas in town that would qualify, and therefore did not include it in their recommendation. However, the marijuana dispensary cannot open in the same building as a daycare facility.
Both the Selectmen and the Advisory Committee also supported not allowing dispensaries in local business districts. The rationale behind the decision is that the state placed a limit of five dispensaries per county, so if a location opened in Brookline, the clientele would likely include residents from surrounding areas. A general business district would therefore be more appropriate, and wouldn't impact surrounding neighborhoods as much, according to the argument.
The production, sale, and use of medical marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts in November 2012, when more than 60 percent of the state's voters approved the measure. In Brookline, the proposal was supported by 75 percent of the voters. One medical marijuana applicant, New England Treatment Access, has shown strong interest in opening in Brookline, possibly in the Brookline Bank building at the intersection of Washington and Boylston Streets.
New England Treatment Access is backed financially by the Kessler family, which has a history of philanthropic support of health care initiatives. Chairwoman Betsy DeWitt said 12 applicants in Norfolk County have received preliminary approval. Only five dispensaries will be registered in each county in Massachusetts. Advisory Committee member Sean Lynn-Jones said medical marijuana can be useful to people suffering from a number of ailments
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Wickedlocal.com
Author: Ignacio Laguarda
Contact: Brookline TAB Contact Us
Website: Medical marijuana regulations easily pass Town Meeting - Brookline, Massachusetts - Brookline TAB
The first of the three established background checks for executives, directors and managers, as well as the license holder, and requires fingerprinting for all. That article passed by a vote of 182-4. Articles 6 and 7 sought to end the moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries that was voted for at Town Meeting in May of this year as well as set up regulations for the business. Article 6 passed by a vote of 210-4, and Article 7 passed by a vote of 208-7.
The latter specifically requires any medical marijuana dispensary to be located at least 500 feet away from any K-12 school. The state regulations call for such entities to also be 500 feet away from daycare facilities or any place where "children commonly congregate," but town officials felt such restrictions would greatly limit the amount of areas in town that would qualify, and therefore did not include it in their recommendation. However, the marijuana dispensary cannot open in the same building as a daycare facility.
Both the Selectmen and the Advisory Committee also supported not allowing dispensaries in local business districts. The rationale behind the decision is that the state placed a limit of five dispensaries per county, so if a location opened in Brookline, the clientele would likely include residents from surrounding areas. A general business district would therefore be more appropriate, and wouldn't impact surrounding neighborhoods as much, according to the argument.
The production, sale, and use of medical marijuana was legalized in Massachusetts in November 2012, when more than 60 percent of the state's voters approved the measure. In Brookline, the proposal was supported by 75 percent of the voters. One medical marijuana applicant, New England Treatment Access, has shown strong interest in opening in Brookline, possibly in the Brookline Bank building at the intersection of Washington and Boylston Streets.
New England Treatment Access is backed financially by the Kessler family, which has a history of philanthropic support of health care initiatives. Chairwoman Betsy DeWitt said 12 applicants in Norfolk County have received preliminary approval. Only five dispensaries will be registered in each county in Massachusetts. Advisory Committee member Sean Lynn-Jones said medical marijuana can be useful to people suffering from a number of ailments
News Moderator - The General @ 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: Wickedlocal.com
Author: Ignacio Laguarda
Contact: Brookline TAB Contact Us
Website: Medical marijuana regulations easily pass Town Meeting - Brookline, Massachusetts - Brookline TAB
