Mar. 28 Town Meeting Decided: No Marijuana Sales in Bellingham
Mar 28, 2018 01:19PM ● By Pamela Johnson
UPDATE: At the Mar. 28 Special Town Meeting, Bellingham residents voted (303 to 63) to change the rezoning bylaws in order to prohibit marijuana dispensaries in town. Medicinal marijuana treatment centers are also probibited. Cultivation of marijuana may be done only upon obtaining a special permit through the Planning Board.
Whichever way you feel about the question of marijuana sales dispensaries in Bellingham, you should be aware of the wording of the warrant articles that will tonight determine the fate of marijuana in Bellingham in order to ensure that you are really voting the way you want to. Just as with the ballot question, a "yes" vote will change the zoning bylaw to prohibit the dispensing of marijuana in town; a "no" vote will not change the zoning bylaw to prohibit the sale of marijuana in town. (In other words "no" means "yes" and "yes" means "no.") Grow facilities may be allowed by special permit.
At the Special Town Election that was held on March 6, the majority of residents who participated voted "yes" (by almost 2 to 1) that the bylaw should be changed to prohibit sales; however, the same result must be obtained at tonight's Special Town Meeting. If it isn't, then the results of the election will be null and void and no rezoning will take place. Dispensaries will be allowed to operate in commercially zoned areas of Bellingham.
So it is important for you to be at the Bellingham High School auditorium at 7:25 p.m. tonight in order to have your vote counted, either way.
According to the town website (www.bellinghamma.org):
Whichever way you feel about the question of marijuana sales dispensaries in Bellingham, you should be aware of the wording of the warrant articles that will tonight determine the fate of marijuana in Bellingham in order to ensure that you are really voting the way you want to. Just as with the ballot question, a "yes" vote will change the zoning bylaw to prohibit the dispensing of marijuana in town; a "no" vote will not change the zoning bylaw to prohibit the sale of marijuana in town. (In other words "no" means "yes" and "yes" means "no.") Grow facilities may be allowed by special permit.
At the Special Town Election that was held on March 6, the majority of residents who participated voted "yes" (by almost 2 to 1) that the bylaw should be changed to prohibit sales; however, the same result must be obtained at tonight's Special Town Meeting. If it isn't, then the results of the election will be null and void and no rezoning will take place. Dispensaries will be allowed to operate in commercially zoned areas of Bellingham.
So it is important for you to be at the Bellingham High School auditorium at 7:25 p.m. tonight in order to have your vote counted, either way.
According to the town website (www.bellinghamma.org):
Town
Meeting begins at 7:25 at the High School Auditorium when a Zoning
Article will be presented to Town Meeting voters which, if approved,
will prohibit Marijuana Dispensaries from operating in the Town of
Bellingham.
This zoning was approved by Town voters at the March 6th election and now must be acted upon by Town Meeting voters.
Following the Zoning Article the adjourned October 11th Town Meeting will be completed.
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