Bellingham to vote again on retail pot

BELLINGHAM – Three weeks after special election voters agreed to support a ban to prohibit recreational marijuana establishments from setting up shop in town, special town meeting voters must now vote on the same question.

The special town meeting will be held March 28 at 7:25 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

Special election voters on March 6 voted 907 to 500 in favor of a bylaw amendment that would amend the town’s zoning bylaws to outlaw “independent testing laboratories, marijuana product manufacturers, and marijuana retailers.” The ban will not affect marijuana cultivators, which would be allowed by special permit only in the Industrial Zone.

More than 1,400 voters debated the ballot question. A total of 900 voters voted “yes” on the ballot question, which adds the bylaw preventing the sales of retail marijuana. A

total of 500 voters voted “no” on the ballot question, which would have allowed retail marijuana to be sold in town.

The special election vote was the first of a two-step process to enact a prohibition on such facilities. The second is a two-thirds vote on the zoning amendment at the Special Town Meeting March 28.

Town officials called for special election and town meting because applications for recreational marijuana retail are expected to be submitted as early as April 1.

Massachusetts voters approved a ballot measure in

November of 2016 legalizing the use and sale of recreational marijuana for those 21 and older. It became legal for adults to use, possess, grow or give away marijuana in December, but retail stores can’t start selling recreational marijuana until July.

The final recreational marijuana law that the Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker enacted has a provision for local control that depends on how residents voted on the statewide ballot question.

In places that voted against legalization, town councils have the authority to ban recreational sales. But in places where residents voted in favor of legalization – like Bellingham - any local gov-

ernment that wants to ban it has to bring the question to voters as community-wide ballot referendum.

Many towns have implemented moratoriums to prevent shops from opening while officials and residents explore local controls for the businesses.

The Legislature also created the Cannabis Control Commission, which is expected to issue licensing guidelines and regulations for marijuana retail by March 15 and begin accepting applications for licenses on April 1. Meanwhile, the law states that communities can call a referendum vote to ban recreational marijuana companies from operating in town.