Worcester – With the state legalization of recreational marijuana scheduled to take effect Dec. 15, the City Council wants to know what options it has to manage the distribution, sale and siting of recreational marijuana facilities in the city.
The council Tuesday night unanimously requested the city administration to research that information after several councilors said they want the city to get ahead of the curve on this issue and not find itself having to play catch-up.
Of particular note, councilors said they want to know whether the sale of recreational marijuana can be regulated through local zoning laws and whether the city can limit the number of such facilities.
"It’s important for the City Council and city administration to take the opportunity to utilize the tools we have at hand," said District 3 Councilor George J. Russell. "It’s important now to decide what we can do. I don’t want to see them at every street corner, but maybe we can limit the number of these facilities and through zoning make sure they are put in proper locations."
Voters statewide approved a referendum question last month that legalizes recreational marijuana. It was approved, 53.6 percent to 46.4 percent, while voters in Worcester approved the ballot question 55 percent to 45 percent.
While most city councilors said the city has a responsibility to honor the outcome of the ballot question, they urged a slow and cautious response on the city’s part in implementing the law.
Because of the vagueness of the wording in the ballot question, Mayor Joseph M. Petty said, the City Council needs to be apprised of all options it may have to manage implementation.
"We need a complete understanding of all the options the city has," Mr. Petty said. "What limits can we put on it and do we have to allow it? I’m also still not clear what’s going to happen on Dec. 15 when the law is supposed to take effect."
Mr. Petty said he voted against the recreational marijuana legalization referendum question because he does not think it is a good idea, especially when many communities across the state, including Worcester, are struggling with an opioid crisis.
He added that he has concerns about other communities that are talking about prohibiting the sale of recreational marijuana and what impact that might have on Worcester.
"We worked out the issues with medical marijuana before and I’m pretty sure we’ll get this right, too," Mr. Petty said.
Councilors-at-Large Morris A. Bergman and Kathleen M. Toomey, who also voted against the ballot question, said there was no need for the city to rush into things, even with the date for the law to take effect just a little more than a week away.
"I don’t feel we should be jumping ahead on this," Mr. Bergman said. "We can’t be moving ahead at a certain speed without knowing what federal regulations will come into play. I understand that Worcester voted for it, but we ought to proceed cautiously and slow and pay attention to what avenues might be available to us. The cost to society in general needs to be looked at."
Meanwhile, Councilor-at-Large Konstantina B. Lukes said before the city does anything it should first see what the Legislature does with the law. She also pointed out that the state law will be contrary to federal regulations, which considers marijuana to be an illegal substance.
Mrs. Lukes went so far as to ask whether the city can prohibit the local sale of recreational marijuana.
"How can a state violate federal law through a ballot question?" she asked. "But we did it. It is clearly a contradiction to federal law. This will also clearly affect every segment of our city and our economy."
But Councilor-at-Large Michael T. Gaffney said the voters have spoken on the issue and the City Council needs to respect that vote. He said he expects the Legislature will take the necessary time to make sure the safeguards are in place for implementing the law.
"I’m not saying it’s a good thing or a bad thing, but the voters have spoken on it," Mr. Gaffney said. "I don’t think anybody needs to get into too much of a panic at this time."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Worcester Council To Explore Local Options On Recreational Marijuana
Author: Nick Kotsopoulos
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