GRAY — The Town Council Tuesday adopted ordinance changes prohibiting marijuana manufacturing and testing facilities and also approved amendments to ordinances about driveways and fireworks.

“There’s a lot here, and it’s all new, and it makes really big changes,” Councilor Dan Maguire said of the marijuana ordinances.

No one spoke at a public hearing on the proposed changes.

Community Development Director Webster said in an interview Wednesday that while adult use marijuana must be allowed in town per state statute, the council has now prohibited adult use marijuana manufacturing and testing facilities and stores.

The council has implemented standards that must be followed for adult use marijuana regarding the visibility of plants, their setback from lot lines and other concerns.

The only medical marijuana entities allowed in town are registered caregivers and caregiver cultivation facilities, Webster said.

Caregivers “cannot be prohibited, by statute, by a municipality,” town attorney Alyssa Tibbetts, of the law firm Jensen Baird Gardner & Henry, said at a Jan. 8 council meeting.

Webster said caregivers must be located in one of the four designated zones and must meet certain requirements, including setbacks from schools and daycares.

Both the state medical marijuana law and the state adult use marijuana law have been significantly altered within the past year. Webster told the council in the fall that those changes “increased home rule authority for municipalities in Maine” to make “policy decisions for the town.”

The council extended its moratorium on retail and medical marijuana uses for another 180 days. With both the moratorium and ordinance changes passed, the council can repeal the moratorium as of the date the ordinance takes effect.

The council also approved amendments to the Gray Street Ordinance to clarify that driveway entrance permits are required for all new driveways and to establish standards for driveways on all roads in Gray.

In addition, the street amendments adjust the administration approval steps for public easement for winter maintenance. Webster said that provision will allow the town to better prepare its costs for winter maintenance because it will be aware of additional private roads.

Amendments to the fireworks ordinance adopted Tuesday add the Saturday preceding July 4 to the list of approved dates on which consumers may set off fireworks.

Jane Vaughan can be reached at 780-9103 or at jvaughan@keepmecurrent.com.

Councilor Dan Maguire reviews ordinance changes Tuesday night.

Community Development Director Doug Webster responds to councilors’ questions regarding proposed changes.