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Date: 1/25/2023
LUDLOW – The Planning Board is currently undergoing revisions of the town’s cannabis bylaws to potentially allow for recreational dispensaries after they were initially banned following a ballot question in 2017.
Voters approved two Town Meeting articles to permanently prohibit the establishment of retail marijuana shops or cultivation facilities at a Special Town Meeting in November 2017.
The Planning Board has been discussing over the last few months revising the bylaws to allow recreational dispensaries in town.
Planning Board Vice Chairman Raymond Phoenix said, “We had our shot six years ago but we shot ourselves in the foot. We said we were going to close the door on it as a town and ended up losing on opportunities. We are seeing other places have these things and it is not what everyone feared it was going to be.”
A few board members expressed their opinions that this would be good for the town’s revenue.
Planning Board Chairman Joseph Queiroga said, “We have no control over this, but we know they [Ludlow] need the revenue. It generates revenue for the town to offset some of the tax burden from regular homeowners and other business owners.”
Planning Board members stated how it may be tough to get this bylaw to pass at Town Meeting but thinks it can benefit the town in a couple of ways.
Phoenix said, “I know there is going to be pushback from certain people. The fact that it is dealing with marijuana is going to make them dead set against it but we have had conversation amongst ourselves and with other people who know this field pretty well but I think it makes sense.”
One of the proposed amendments the Planning Board talked about at its Jan. 12 meeting would require someone looking to secure a special permit to open a recreational cannabis business to provide letters from the Police and Fire departments.
The Planning Board also continued to go over grammar and definitions in the new bylaw. Members also discussed moving requirements to obtain a permit to open a recreational dispensary to the top so anyone interested would read the more important parts first.
The Planning Board has until Feb. 24 to submit this article for Annual Town Meeting in May and stated that they plan to host at least one public hearing after it is submitted.
Phoenix said, “We want to perfect this article as much as possible because we don’t want to have issues at the public meeting and have it dead in the water before we can even get to Town Meeting.”