Reading – The Community Development and Planning Commission (CPDC) at their meeting last week approved Town Meeting articles for the Temporary Moratorium on Marijuana Establishments and separately to prohibit marijuana establishments in Reading by prohibiting them in the Table of Zoning uses in all districts.
By taking this action the CPDC approved the plan proposed by the Selectmen to ban marijuana establishments within the town. Voters in the April 4th Town Election will have the opportunity to decide not to allow marijuana establishments in Reading by a majority vote in the election. Should that outright ban vote fail, the marijuana establishments could be eliminated by a zoning article at Town Meeting which would need a two thirds vote.
Town meeting could also act to limit recreational marijuana establishmnts to a specific zoning district.
In the event the elimination of marijuana establishments is not approved Town Meeting will also have the option of instituting a temporary moratorium on marijuana establishments until state regulations are determined and a Cannabis Control Commission is formed by the state.
The CPDC also agreed on a definition of marijuana establishment to include any marijuana related business with the exception of a registered Medical Marijuana Establishment.
The votes to place the articles on the warrant were unanimous as was the CPDC support for the moratorium article. The prohibition of marijuana establishments by eliminating that use in all zones of the zoning bylaws passed on a 3-1 vote with Nick Safina, John Weston and Karen Goncalves in favor and Dave Tuttle opposed.
A Statewide ballot question promoting the recreational use of marijuana in the November 8th election passed with 53% of the voters in favor and 46% opposed to the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Reading, however, opposed the pot legalization question by a vote of 8,353 (54%) to 6,800 (44%) with 81.3% voter turnout.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: CPDC Approves Marijuana Control Amendments For Town Meeting
Author: Al Sylvia
Contact: 781-933-3700
Photo Credit: Flickr
Website: Daily Times Chronicle
