Two public hearings are scheduled this week in Richmond on two marijuana-related issues that will appear on a special town meeting warrant in November.

One is a proposed change to the town’s land-use ordinance that regulates where marijuana-related businesses could be located in Richmond. The other is a ban on the expansion of a medical marijuana grow facility that’s close to one of the town’s schools.

The Planning Board is scheduled to hold its public hearing at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Town Office. The Board of Selectmen plans to hold a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Marcia Buker School, at 28 High St.

When voters narrowly approved the statewide recreational marijuana referendum last November, they also opened the door to marijuana-related enterprises such as smoking lounges, retail shops and processing facilities. Because local ordinances made no provision for where those types of businesses would be allowed, many communities opted to impose temporary bans to give local planning boards time to draft proposals.

In Sagadahoc County, Richmond is among the majority of communities that voted in favor of recreational marijuana. The vote was 1,016 for it and 902 against.

At a special town meeting in January, Richmond residents approved a temporary ban on allowing marijuana-related enterprises in town.

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Since that vote, a number of changes to the land-use ordinance have been proposed, including requiring anyone operating a pot-related enterprise such as a social club or retail shop to obtain an annual license.

In addition, any retail pot-related business or social club would be restricted to the highway commercial district by Interstate 295.

Jessica Lowell can be contacted at 621-5632 or at:

jlowell@centralmaine.com

Twitter: JLowellKJ


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