TOPSHAM — Topsham residents will have a say in how their town tackles marijuana regulations at the ballot box in November.
A trio of referendum questions will ask voters whether they want to allow medicinal retail, recreational retail and commercial cultivation of marijuana. The questions aren’t binding and the town won’t be required to ban or allow certain uses based on results. They’re intended to guide the town’s decision making going forward, according to town officials.
“It’s a way to reach more people than the one or two that stand up when we have a hearing or the few that show up to our meetings,” said Town Manager Rich Roedner. “It’s a better way to at least judge what the town wants.”
It has been a long road to get to this point, as town officials waited for direction from the state level regarding medical marijuana retail stores. State legislators decided to give local municipalities the option of allowing medical marijuana storefronts, but the law won’t go into effect until Dec. 13.
“There could have been as many as eight different questions regarding marijuana,” said Roedner. “We narrowed it down to three that will give us the best overall idea.”
With the new legislation in mind, Topsham selectmen extended a moratorium on medical storefronts in June to avoid receiving applications before the law goes into effect. The town formed an advisory group later that month to provide recommendations to the board about regulating the new businesses.
The advisory group includes caregivers, medical marijuana business owners, town planners and a health professional. Roedner said their advisory role has been put on hold until the November vote clarify how residents would like to move forward. Topsham does have one medical store front, High Brow, which hasn’t been affected by any moratoriums because the business was already in place.
The decision to get the opinion of voters on medical and retail stores was made because towns now have the ability to opt in to both separately. If there is support, Roedner could see an official vote coming at a May town meeting. The medical advisory group would likely be back to work, helping develop Topsham’s ordinance.
“We’d start working on an ordinance as soon as we can,” said Roedner. “I would think our goal would be to shoot for May town meeting. We’d have to work fast to do that.”
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