Madison Drafts Ordinance On Commercial Use Of Pot

MADISON, CT — The town has taken one step toward not allowing the commercial use of cannabis in Madison, reports the Madison Source.

The town approved drafting an ordinance, and a public hearing on the proposal is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 24 at the Town Campus, the Madison Source reported. (Read the full Madison Source story here).

In First Selectwoman Peggy Lyons' newsletter to Madison residents she wrote, "The Board of Selectmen will also be holding a Public Hearing on Monday, April 24th at 6:30 p.m. at Madison Town Campus and on zoom to receive public feedback on a draft ordinance for the prohibition of Cannabis Establishments in Madison. The draft ordinance is available in the Town Clerk’s office and will be available on the Town website next week. In addition to the public hearing, the Board of Selectmen will be launching in the coming weeks a town-wide survey on the issue of cannabis regulation in our Town. We encourage all residents to participate in this important survey so stay tuned!"

Here are some key sections of the ordinance via the town of Madison's website:

A. Cannabis Land Use Prohibited
It shall be unlawful for any building, structure, or land anywhere within the Town of Madison to be used as a cannabis establishment, cannabis producer, cannabis dispensary facility, cannabis cultivator, cannabis micro-cultivator, cannabis retailer, cannabis hybrid retailer, cannabis food and beverage manufacturer, cannabis product manufacturer, or cannabis product packager.

Violation of this section shall be punishable by a fine of $250 per offense. Each day in operation or each sale, whichever is greater, shall constitute a separate offense.

B. Hemp Exemption

The prohibition and fine in this section shall not apply to any fully lawful cultivation, processing, manufacturing, or sale of hemp and hemp products by an individual or entity, including, as applicable, licensure and authorization to engage in such activity by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture or the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Such cultivation, processing, or manufacturing must comply with state law. Failure to comply with any state
law regulating the cultivation, processing, and manufacturing of hemp or hemp products shall void the application of this exception to such person or entity in violation.

§ _______-4 Enforcement.
The Town of Madison First Selectperson, Madison Law Enforcement Personnel, Planning and Zoning Commission and/or the Zoning Enforcement Officer shall have authority to enforce this article. In addition to fines, this Article I may be enforced by injunction, action for abatement, or other appropriate civil remedy.

§ _______-5 Severability.
Should any provision of this article be declared invalid for any reason, such declaration shall not affect the validity of other provisions of this article as a whole, it being the legislative intent that the provisions of this article shall be severable and that the remainder shall be valid.

>>>Read the full draft ordinance here.