FARMINGTON — Selectmen Tuesday, Dec. 28, tabled one request to amend the town’s Adult Use and Medical Marijuana Ordinance but approved sending another to voters at annual Town Meeting.

Michael MacNeil, a Planning Board member and marijuana business operator, asked to increase the number of permit/licenses allowed. The ordinance currently allows licenses for four adult use and three medical stores, seven cultivation facilities, seven manufacturing facilities, and two testing facilities. He proposed licenses for 12 retail stores with no stipulations on type, nine cultivation facilities, eight manufacturing facilities, and maintaining the two testing facilities.

In September, former selectman Ryan Morgan asked that limits on the number of retail stores be removed from the ordinance. At that meeting, the board discussed reviewing the ordinance for possible changes.

“I do know there is a waiting list for every category,” Selectman Chairman Matthew Smith said in September. “People are holding on to licenses, we need to take care of that issue.”

MacNeil said he has the only active adult-use license. There are a lot of slots just sitting there, essentially locking others out, he noted. He said the state has been really hard to work with.

While adding a ‘use it or lose it’ clause to the ordinance had been discussed, MacNeil said the easiest solution was to open up more slots, take it to Town Meeting and let the voters decide.

“There are a lot of people who would like to get into the market, can’t get in,” he said. “It shouldn’t be fair that you can just buy the license and sit on it.”

“We could increase it but who is to say that an individual who holds a permit now couldn’t put in for another permit for another location down the road,” Selectman Joshua Bell asked.

“I do think with time we will put more stores in,” Smith said. “We need to fix where we can put them too, they’re zoned two different ways in Farmington. I think that has to go into the mix as well. We need to go over the whole ordinance.”

There are about 10 on the waiting list, there is a lag between the town issuing licenses and people pursuing them with the state, Code Enforcement Officer Steven Kaiser said. His goal is to get everyone licensed in Farmington licensed with the state in 2022. Only one licensee doesn’t have a location, he noted.

Selectman Stephan Bunker said he hadn’t been approached by many citizens not being able to find a facility. The issue may be more from the business owner’s perspective, he noted.

Not enough evidence was heard to change the ordinance, Selectman Michael Fogg said.

If more licenses are created, will the applicants be in the same queue, just make the line longer, resident Dennis O’Neil asked.

Bunker wanted time to consider, hear from more people before moving forward with the request.

Landry wanted to check the status of those in limbo to see if there was any action.

The Board did approve sending a setback change in the ordinance to voters.

Chad Crandall, owner of Blue Sky Labs has purchased the former Family Dollar building which is next to his manufacturing facility on the Wilton Road. The purchase was to create a campus, be more efficient, he said.

Currently the ordinance stipulates there must be a minimum of 1,000 feet between marijuana businesses.

Crandall wants to add, “unless such properties are located in the General Purpose District and are owned or controlled by the same person, entity or affiliate … in which case there shall be no separation by distance between same required.” A definition of affiliate is also included in the amendment.

Individual licenses would still be needed for each business, Kaiser said.

“Farmington is where we want to be,” Crandall said before the vote.

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