An update on the worthless garbage Massachusetts towns banning cannabis delivery
According to the Cannabis Control Commission’s municipal zoning tracker, out of 351 cities and towns, there are currently just over a hundred legal marijuana bans of some kind in place statewide. Most prevent any kind of cannabis company from opening in their borders, though a few just ban dispensaries but allow for cultivation and manufacturing.
One somewhat murky pocket of the ban realm, however, has been around delivery. While some local select boards and councils approved language long ago that specifically keeps drivers out of “no towns,” others left the door open for doorside dropoffs, whether intentionally or otherwise.
However, the new Act Modernizing the Commonwealth’s Cannabis Laws, signed by Gov. Maura Healey in April, offers clarification. According to the Cannabis Control Commission’s memo on its role in implementing the changes, among its new mandates is to facilitate “adult-use cannabis delivery to cities and towns that do not otherwise have zoning for Marijuana Establishments.”
The April 19 CCC bulletin provides additional “guidance to municipalities regarding the Act’s provisions on limited delivery of marijuana and marijuana products.” Under the statute, “limited delivery is permitted in every municipality in the Commonwealth.” “However, a municipality that does not authorize retail Marijuana Establishment licenses within its borders may request a waiver from the Commission.”
“Upon initial request, the Commission must grant the waiver, and the municipality may temporarily prohibit delivery within its jurisdiction. … The waiver is valid for up to two years and may be extended in two-year increments at the Commission’s discretion.”
Municipalities that wish to opt out of limited delivery are instructed to: “Confirm that the municipality does not authorize retail Marijuana Establishments; Prepare and submit a two-year waiver request to the Commission from the chief municipal executive; and Track the two-year waiver period and request extensions as needed.”
This month, those waiver requests have started to process through elected boards across the Bay State. As of June 10, the CCC had received inquiries from Westborough, Needham, Hampden, Hopkinton, Lincoln, Holden, and Avon.
And in Foxboro, a town currently overrun with visiting millionaire World Cup fans who piss rivers in public and jam every road in the region, local leaders are kicking the ball down the road on this one. Earlier this month, members of the town’s select board voted unanimously to request a two-year prohibition of deliveries. They stand up to FIFA, but cower at reefer.
