Vassalboro News: Special town meeting planned for Jan. 9

by Mary Grow

If 125 registered voters attend, Vassalboro will hold a special town meeting at 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, at Vassalboro Community School, to act on a two questions.

The first proposes an ordinance that would ban recreational marijuana facilities in town. The second, included in the event that the first is defeated, proposes a moratorium on such facilities.

The first document voters are asked to consider is titled “Ordinance Prohibiting Retail Marijuana Establishments and Retail Marijuana Social Clubs in the Town of Vassalboro.” Using the same definitions as in the law approved by state voters on Nov. 8, the ordinance prohibits activities allowed under the law: “retail marijuana stores, retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products manufacturing facilities, and retail marijuana testing facilities, and retail marijuana social clubs.”

If approved, the ordinance would not affect activities conducted under the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act.

If voters do not approve the prohibition, they have a second choice: a much longer “Town of Vassalboro Moratorium Ordinance on Retail Marijuana Establishments and Retail Marijuana Stores and Retail Marijuana Social Clubs.” The moratorium would remain in effect for 180 days and could be extended. The purpose would be to give town officials time to update local ordinances to protect residents from health and safety risks the ordinance alleges are posed by recreational marijuana activities. The law voters approved Nov. 8 allows municipal legislative bodies to regulate and to prohibit marijuana facilities.

In order to hold a special town meeting in Vassalboro, a quorum of 125 registered voters must be present.