Lisbon council members during the town council meeting Tuesday Screenshot
Recreational marijuana stores and other related establishments may come to Lisbon if the town council approves new regulations in August.
The town council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the first reading of a proposed adult-use marijuana ordinance. A public hearing and vote is scheduled for Aug. 17.
Under the proposed regulations, recreational pot establishments will only be authorized in specific locations.
Each authorized marijuana store, cultivation facility and manufacturing facility must pay $5,000 as a license fee to the town annually. Any marijuana testing facility must pay a fee of $10,000, and registered caregiver cultivation facility will pay $250, said Curtis Lunt, vice chairperson of the planning board.
“We looked at other towns and cities what they did with the license fee and we thought we should charge more than $200 for medical marijuana as it is substantially more involved,” Lunt said.
“To ensure everyone is playing fairly and doing what they need to do, I think the $5,000 licensing fee is acceptable, all the stuff that I read through as far as the regulations that are set forth are in line with the current medical, which hasn’t been an issue,” Councilor Don Fellows said.
The proposed rules aren’t without restraints. The ordinance would forbid facilities to operate other than licensed premises, such as a farmer’s market, farm stands or kiosks.
Recreational marijuana facilities must have lockable doors and windows and be equipped with an alarm system that includes automatic notification to the Lisbon Police Department.
In addition, the ordinance prohibits facilities from placing any signs advertising or marketing marijuana business within 500 feet of the property line of a pre-existing public or private school.
The recreational use, sale and taxation of marijuana was approved in Maine in November 2016.
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