POLAND — Selectmen on Thursday night discussed the drafts of the two marijuana ordinances that will be put before voters at the April town meeting.
One ordinance deals with medical marijuana cultivation, testing and selling. The second ordinance sets guidelines for adult recreational marijuana in manufacture, testing and store front sales.
Town Manager Matthew Garside told the board the committee that wrote the ordinances will probably meet one more time before passing the local regulations to the selectmen.
Selectmen will review and make any additional changes before giving them to the Planning Board to evaluate in order to incorporate them into the town’s land use code. A public hearing will follow before the ordinances are transcribed as warrant articles for the town meeting.
The draft ordinances will regulate quantity, size, type of structures, odor control and where store fronts can be located in town. The draft also suggests using a lottery format instead of a first come, first served basis since the number of licensed establishments will be limited.
Garside said he would like to have the license fee structure be like a building permit system giving selectmen and the town flexibility “to respond to things as they unfold.”
Selectperson Suzette Moulton said “the potential of having 10 stores, for the potential of multiple growers and testing facilities and all that and making sure they are meeting code and meeting compliance (land use code)” could overburden the code enforcer officer.
Gardside replied, “We don’t really know until we get into that.”
He said he spoke with Scott Neal, the code enforcer officer, and until the marijuana facilities are up and running, it is difficult to tell. Maybe, Garside added, the license fees could used to hire a part-time assistant, if that is required.
In other matters, selectmen approved a change in the bylaws for the Poland Conservation Committee to add a seventh person to the group.
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