OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The town has extended the moratorium for non-residential cultivation of medical marijuana another 60 days, so that it will now expire Jan. 12.

The town council unanimously passed the extension last week.

The moratorium was initially established July 16, and this is the second time the town has extended it.

The town established the moratorium after resident Pierre Bouthiller expressed interest in creating a facility at 60 Saco Ave., where he would lease out space to medical marijuana caregivers ”“ those licensed by the state to grow medical marijuana ”“ and also provide a location for medical marijuana research.

Caregivers typically grow marijuana in their homes, and Bouthiller said at last week’s town council meeting his proposed facility would provide a “safe and secure” place to grow their plants.

Bouthiller said the proposed facility would have a maximum of 12 employees and would not be a high-traffic business. He said the only persons at the facility would be those authorized by the state to work there. The patients would not be allowed on site, as state law mandates caregivers must deliver the product, he said.

Bouthiller said he and his associates want to work with the town, but don’t feel the town has made a “good faith effort” in including them in the consideration of a new ordinance.

Council Chairman Shawn O’Neil said the council needed to extend the moratorium because it needed to give the planning board time to create an ordinance proposal.

Town Manager Larry Mead said he and police have met with an owner of a medical marijuana facility in a different community to discuss what issues they had with operating a similar business.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.