Friday, April 19, 2013
The Public Safety subcommittee raised questions about how to oversee dispensaries.
A Town Council subcommittee will seek to delay allowing a medical marijuana facility from coming to town for over a year so details of how they would be regulated and overseen can be worked out. On Tuesday night, the Public Safety subcommittee voted unanimously to recommend that the full Council approve a temporary moratorium on zoning for medical marijuana treatment centers. If approved the moratorium could delay the changes to the zoning laws until as late as June 30, 2014. Right now, such a facility does not fit Watertown's zoning ordinances, said Steve Magoon, director of Economic Development and Planning. "I would say they are not allowed. It is not in the list of uses in our zoning ordinances," Magoon said. The town cannot …
Friday, March 15, 2013
Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled this week that a Wakefield zoning law baring marijuana facilities is not legal.
Following the Attorney General's ruling that towns cannot ban medical marijuana dispensaries from setting up in their borders, Watertown officials will look at how to handle the matter. Town Council President Mark Sideris said the council's Public Safety subcommittee will soon begin looking at their options. "We will schedule a meeting at the beginning of April with the police chief, the planning director and town attorney," Sideris said. "We need to see if we need to have a moratorium (on the marijuana dispensaries), and zone a proper place for it." This week, State Attorney General Martha Coakley's office determined that Wakefield's zoning ban such facilities conflicts with state law. “The AG ruled that the outright ban conflicted …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Town Council President Mark Sideris opposes having a marijuana facility in town, what do you think?
With the passage of Question 3, facilities can open in Massachusetts to distribute marijuana for medical purposes but not everyone wants to one in their town. The ballot question was approved by 63 percent of Massachusetts voters, and 69 percent of Watertown voters backed the question in the Nov. 6 election. The law is slated to take effect Jan. 1, and allows people with certain medical conditions to get up to a 60-day supply of marijuana. The ballot measure limits the number of “medical marijuana treatment centers” that can open next year to 35. There must be at least one in each county, but no more than five. Watertown Town Council President Mark Sideris said last week that he does not want to see such a facility in Watertown. At …
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Mark Sideris said he plans to pursue ways to stop a distribution facility opening in town following the passage of Question 3 on Nov. 6.
The idea of a medical marijuana dispensary coming to Watertown is not somethings Town Council President Mark Sideris wants to see, and he plans to seek a way to prevent that from happening at a future Town Council meeting. On Nov. 6, Massachusetts voters approved Question 9, the ballot question allowing the use of marijuana for medical purposes as prescribed by a doctor, by a 63 to 37 percent margin. With the approval comes the creation of marijuana dispensaries—"non-profit treatment centers that will grow, process and provide marijuana to patients or their caregivers," according to the Secretary of State. Cities and towns are left to set regulations for medical marijuana dispensaries. Sideris said he has concerns. "I'd be opposed to any …
42.36752
-71.18773
Town of Watertown Town Hall
149 Main St, Watertown, MA
/articles/council-president-wants-to-prevent-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-from-opening-in-watertown
1422333
/locations/8162217
Friday, November 9, 2012
The medical marijuana ballot initiative passed on Tuesday, which means up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open in 2013. Would you be OK with having one in town?
Medical marijuana is coming to Massachusetts. The question is: where? The medical marijana ballot initiative that passed in Tuesdays election with 63 percent voter approval means that up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open up in the state in 2013. The new law goes into effect January 1, but requires rules and regulations be set up by the Department of Public Health. Some towns and cities, such as Quincy, reportedly are already trying to line up regulations that would keep dispensaries out of their municipalities, which have proved troublesome in some of the nine states where medical marijuana dispensaries have been legal. What do you think? Is this a classic case of NIMBY (fine, but Not In My Back Yard)? Or do medical marijuana …
Friday, October 26, 2012
Voters will be asked to vote on Question 3, to decide whether to eliminate criminal and civil penalties related to marijuana for people with certain medical conditions.
- OPINION
-
Friday, October 26, 2012
To Editor: On November 6th, voters will be asked to vote on Question 3. A YES VOTE would enact the proposed law eliminating state criminal and civil penalties related to the medical use of marijuana, allowing patients meeting certain conditions to obtain marijuana produced and distributed by new state-regulated centers or, in specific hardship cases, to grow marijuana for their own use. [Editor's Note: Information from the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Ballot Question Description] As a community Coalition that focuses on promoting healthy youth decision-making, we encourage voters to be informed of both sides of this important issue in order to make an informed decision on election day. Below we have included some of the MANY links to…
Mara
11:49 am on Thursday, November 29, 2012
Sure. It's a responsible, legitimate business. more ›