FARMINGTON – Selectmen asked that a less restrictive amendment be considered for the town’s zoning ordinance regulating where a state-licensed medical marijuana clinic and dispensary can be located.
Town Manager Richard Davis proposed limiting the location, if a marijuana dispensary were to be established in Farmington, to the commercial areas on Wilton Road or Farmington Falls Road, which are designated as General Purpose Districts. The restriction would prohibit a clinic from opening in the downtown and residential areas.
Davis said the proposed amendment to the town’s zoning ordinance mirrors restrictions on methadone and other chemical treatment facilities in the state.
Under proposed legislation regarding medical marijuana distribution clinics, eight public health districts will be allowed in the state. One district will encompass Franklin County. Davis said Farmington would be the likely location for a dispensary because it already serves as the county’s service center.
“Why is the town considering to regulate small business?” asked Selectman Jon Bubier. “If the state is going to manage the clinics and require a license, why should we be limiting it? I don’t see it as any different than a liquor store.”
As a town, Davis said, there’s a need to decide where businesses should be located that may attract certain undesirable members of the population. “There’s a risk with high grade marijuana for break-ins and burglaries. We should regulate it to keep an eye on it,” he said.
“I disagree with limiting new businesses downtown,” Selectman Drew Hufnagel said. “I don’t see a difference of this and a Howard’s Rexall (a former pharmacy on Main Street). He added that as a former police officer for 10 years, the number one drug problem facing local law enforcement is with prescriptive drugs.
“Marijuana through a dispensary is “not a free-for-all for drugs,” said Bubier. With a proposed license fee of $15,000 to $20,000 “it’s not likely to be a fly-by-night operation run by recreational users and you will have the state’s oversight.”
“I could live with opening it up to other business areas,” Bubier added. Davis said he would come back with a modified proposal at the next meeting.
On the topic of regulation, Selectman Ryan Morgan said he’d like to see about requiring local taxi services to be licensed.
“Other towns require a license to operate with a background check on drivers. Felons would not be allowed to get a (taxi) license,” Morgan said after looking at Rumford’s ordinance. A fee would be charged for the license to pay for the background check.
“There are a lot of reasons for a felony,” Hufnagel said. “I wouldn’t want to restrict someone from starting a business.”
Davis said many of the town ordinances regarding taxi licenses need to provide a taxi stand, which he said would take a parking space or two away from the already tight parking allowances downtown.
Selectmen voted 3 to 1, with Bubier opposed, to look further into regulating taxi services in town. Bubier argued too many things have been regulated as it is. Selectman Chair Steve Bunker was not present for the meeting.
I say the fee for said license should be $1,000,000.00. WHAT do we need such dispensary for? Are our Town Fathers losing it?
“there’s a need to decide where businesses should be located that may attract certain undesirable members of the population” — like sick people? keep them as far away from the downtown area as you can, nothing hurts business like a bunch of sick people walking around. i think i can name quite a few downtown businesses that attract more “undesirable” characters that mr. davis should be concerned with. they might be moving more contraband, to boot.
Why can’t the marijuana prescriptions be filled at any pharmacy? A prescription for addictive drugs like oxycodone and oxychontin get dispensed there. So why are marijuana prescriptions in need of a special dispensary? And I agree with Jon — a dispensary would be similar to a liquor store. And Drew is right, too. You don’t have to be a rapist or a murderer to be a felon.
agree with lee rose – why can’t marijuana prescriptions be dispensed at the drug store? isn’t it a ‘drug’?
The difference amidst amateur consumption and medical use of cannabis begs to be noticed. Although I think that a responsible adult ought to have the right to use marijuana recreationally, I do believe, without doubt, allowing for an ill person use of a plant with a long history of medical value should be accepted and legal. Marijuana has a great potential as a medication and more awareness and acceptance is needed. In Summary, legalize it!