The Windham Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday, Nov. 22, to enact an emergency moratorium on the building of marijuana retail establishments and social clubs in town, and the Raymond Board of Selectman has started discussing the possibility.

Councilors Dave Nadeau and Donna Chapman were absent for the Windham meeting.

The 30-day moratorium will give the Town Council time to discuss where marijuana-related establishments should be allowed in town. Because it was passed as an emergency moratorium, the council was not required to hold a public hearing before voting.

However, the council will have to hold a public hearing to extend the moratorium for its fully allowable 180 days. A public hearing on the moratorium is scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Windham voters last month favored the statewide referendum to legalize recreational marijuana, 5,150-4,852. Legalizing recreational marijuana won by a narrow statewide, prompting the “no” campaign to petition for a recount. The Secretary of State’s Office announced earlier this week that a recount would start Monday, Dec. 5, and could take up to six weeks.

In Raymond, the town’s Board of Selectmen had its first discussion on enacting a moratorium on marijuana businesses on Nov. 22. Chairman Joe Bruno said given the recount, “it might be a little premature to start talking” about a moratorium.

After the recount, Town Manager Don Willard said, the state will still have to develop rules to govern the development of marijuana establishments. Until those rules are finalized, developers cannot start the permitting process for any recreational marijuana establishments.

If the referendum question passes after the recount, a moratorium could be established in the spring, Willard said, when the rules have been handed down by the state.

Code Enforcement Officer Chris Hanson said at the meeting that several people have already inquired about expanding medical marijuana establishments in Raymond into retailers of recreational marijuana as well.

Raymond voters approved question one 1,529-1,361.

Windham councilors, from left, Tim Nangle and Jarrod Maxfield, listen to Town Manager Tony Plante during an initial discussion of a marijuana moratorium on Nov. 15. The council passed the emergency moratorium the following week.