In 2016, Maine approved, with less than a 1 percent margin, recreational adult-use marijuana. Scarborough rejected it by a 4.8 percent margin.

At Wednesday’s Town Council meeting, Scarborough residents can weigh in on proposed local marijuana ordinance changes, with a Town Council vote planned for Wednesday.

License eligibility for cultivation and manufacturing is proposed within rural-farming zone lots larger than 1.8 acres. With marijuana illegal at the federal level, it is predominantly a cash business with relatively high-value products requiring measures to deter crime as well as fire safety and odor concerns. This could easily translate to problems for some of the approximately 2,400 homes in the rural-farming zone and those close by.

The upcoming meeting is an opportunity to share your view of how Scarborough introduces the recreational marijuana business to our community. Should it be under consideration to restrict marijuana cultivation and manufacturing to more carefully selected areas and to set limits on number of licenses? What resources will be needed for enforcement? I encourage Scarborough residents to make their voices heard: Participate in the discussion Wednesday and become familiar with the issues through the meeting documents on the town website (scarboroughmaine.org/town-government-town-council).

Scarborough should lead Maine in areas such as education and the quality of life for our residents. We limit garage sales to one per every six months due to potential impacts on neighbors. How much more carefully should we introduce recreational marijuana cultivation and manufacturing, especially in residential areas?

Betsy Gleysteen

town councilor

Scarborough