HARPSWELL
As municipalities throughout Maine consider moratoriums on recreational marijuana establishments, Harpswell has released a survey to collect community input on how that town should handle commercial marijuana establishments.
The survey, which went live on Thursday, asks Harpswell residents to share their opinions on whether the town should regulate or ban a variety of commercial marijuana businesses in their town. While the referendum passed last month legalizes recreational marijuana possession and use, it gives municipalities the authority to ban commercial marijuana establishments.
“The survey deals only with the portion of the new law that addresses retail establishments. The town is not involved — cannot be involved — in individual use, individual growing of marijuana under the law,” said Town Planner Mark Eyerman.
Question 1, which legalizes marijuana use and possession for those 21 years and older, was approved by approximately 4,000 votes in November. A subsequent recount found no significant change in results, and the No on 1 campaign conceded before the recount was completed. Harpswell approved the referendum by only a slight majority with just 66 votes. With no clear mandate from voters, the Board of Selectmen decided to solicit comment from the public via a survey at a meeting on December 15.
“There were both questions among the members of the board and I think somewhat different feelings about how the town might move forward, so they said before we decide what we’re gonna do we should try and get some feedback from the larger public since the town split almost evenly on the referendum question,” said Eyerman.
The town is crunched for time to figure out how to approach this issue in time for the town meeting in March. Eyerman expects the Board of Selectmen to gather the results of the survey at their meeting in mid-January in order to have any potential action taken at the town meeting.
“Harpswell is a town meeting community, and town meeting is in March. So if the town is going to do anything in the immediate future it would need to be done in time to be put on the March town meeting warrant,” said Eyerman
The survey is available online at http://www.harpswell. maine.gov. Paper copies are available at the town office.
nstrout@timesrecord.com
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