BOWDOINHAM
Bowdoinham selectmen will hold a joint public meeting with the planning board on Thursday regarding marijuana regulations.
Officials will discuss which marijuana retail establishments should or should not be allowed in town; the permitting process and standards the town should require for the uses it does allow; and the process and schedule the town will use to address these issues.
The town adopted a moratorium ordinance regarding recreational marijuana retail establishments and social clubs at a special town meeting on Dec. 14.
The moratorium temporarily prohibits any activity surrounding marijuana retail establishments and marijuana social clubs — uses legalized by a citizen initiative passed by Mainers on Nov. 8.
This moratorium also halts retail marijuana cultivation facilities, retail marijuana products, manufacturing facilities, retail marijuana testing facilities and retail marijuana stores.
The moratorium gives the town 180 days to consider amending the town’s land use ordinance to regulate marijuana establishments and social clubs.
Selectmen can extend the moratorium another 180 days after holding a public hearing.
The Maine Legislature put in place an emergency bill which delays the effective date of most of the provisions of the Marijuana Legalization Act to Feb. 1, 2018.
Bowdoinham Planner Nicole Briand said the town still doesn’t know how much time it will have to adopt regulations, or what rules the state will develop.
“We’re still going to go through our process and have discussion about what folks in Bowdoinham want, so when the state has done their part we are ready,” Briand said.
The Marijuana Legalization Act is different than other laws because it gives towns the authority to actually ban uses, townwide if they wish, so the town isn’t limited in what it can do.
Whether or not that changes in the future, it is important Bowdoinham goes through the process of deciding what the town wants regarding retail marijuana establishments and social club uses, Briand said.
Thursday’s meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the Coombs Municipal Building, located at 13 School St.
dmoore@timesrecord.com
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