North Branford Reviewing Topic Of Medical Marijuana Facilities

By Jack Kramer, Correspondent

NORTH BRANFORD, CT – Town officials in North Branford have been reviewing whether North Branford should consider joining the growing list of municipalities in the state that allow a medical marijuana facility within its borders.

Currently there is a moratorium in place in North Branford on marijuana producers and dispensaries in North Branford. That moratorium went into effect in June of 2017 and is set to expire in June of 2018.

At the past two Planning and Zoning Commission meetings, commission members have reviewed with town officials where medical pot dispensaries are in the state – but took no action on where North Branford stands on the issue.

The PZC did state it will be discussing the matter more in 2018.

Currently, there are more than 21,000 medical marijuana patients in the state, being served by dispensaries in nearby Branford, among others.

The other dispensaries in the state are in Hartford, Waterbury, Bethel, South Windsor, Uncasville, Bristol – and two in Milford.

There are over 800 participating physicians.

While the towns that have housed medical marijuana facilities have almost unanimously said the businesses have been good neighbors, the facilities have not been welcome everywhere.

In Guilford last year, the Planning and Zoning Commission voted to to amend the zoning code and add a section banning medical marijuana dispensaries and production facilities in town.

While there was no immediate request to establish a dispensary in Guilford, the group Guilford Development Assets for Youth (DAY) had been pushing for a preemptive ban.

The program works to discourage young people from engaging in substance abuse and underage drinking, and teens affiliated with the program had appeared before the Guilford PZC to voice their opposition to the possibility of a dispensary here.

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