Simsbury Aims To Decide Pot Issue At Polls

SIMSBURY, CT — Those looking to legally toke up or chill out via marijuana edibles with cannabis purchased in Simsbury will have to wait a while if not, possibly, forever.

Or, they could spearhead a petition drive and decide the matter themselves at the polls later this year, something local leaders appear agreeable to.

The Simsbury Board of Selectmen earlier this month voted to seek an extension of a temporary recreational cannabis retail ban in town by 18 months, with the idea it would give residents time to petition for a referendum to decide the issue once-and-for-all locally.

On Jan. 9, the Simsbury Board of Selectmen voted 4-2 to authorize Simsbury Town Manager Maria Capriola and the town's attorney to draft an ordinance for an 18-month ban of retail pot sales.

The ordinance would be completed in time for a Feb. 13 Simsbury Board of Selectmen hearing on the matter, which is slated for 6 p.m. at Simsbury Town Hall.

Currently, a previously approved moratorium on retail cannabis sales expires in May, with the complete legalization of pot in Connecticut becoming official this month.

Town officials hope extending the moratorium would give it even more time to figure out the future of cannabis sales in Simsbury.

On Jan. 9, selectmen were presented with three options:

• Take no action and continue leaving it for the Simsbury Zoning Commission, which is working on draft pot regulations.

• Prohibit retail cannabis sales indefinitely, essentially making Simsbury a pot-free town.

• Prohibit retail cannabis sales on a temporary basis, which is what was approved by the board in seeking an 18-month moratorium extension, carrying the ban well in to 2024.

The hope is this action will act as a petition tripwire for residents to file the necessary paperwork with the town to put a final, pot or no-pot question on the November 2023 municipal election ballot.

Meanwhile, Simsbury leaders had a wide range of opinions on what should be done.

Democratic Simsbury First Selectman Wendy Mackstutis said she thinks the matter is one that should be decided by a town's land-use board, in the case of Simsbury, the zoning commission.

She did, however, say she supports legalization in Simsbury, citing its legality in the state of Connecticut.

Selectman Sean P. Askham, a Republican, said he supports the option of a temporary ban to leave it to the voters, ultimately.

But, Askham expressed regret more serious drugs that are killing people via overdoses are not getting the same attention as pot.

"We need to care more about what substances are killing people in town," Askham said.

Mackstutis and Democratic Selectman Eric Sean Wellman both said the matter should be decided at the land-use level and both voted "no" in creating the ordinance at the selectmen level.

They were outvoted by four selectmen (two Democrats and two Republicans) who said it is a policy issue to be decided by the town's top policy-making body, namely the board of selectmen.

Askham, Democrat Chris Peterson, Republican Heather Goetz and Democrat Amber Lane Abbuhl were in favor. Democrats Wellman and Mackstutis were against.

Peterson said he wasn't convinced cannabis sales in Simsbury would really benefit the community financially.

But he admitted he didn't think a total ban would ever pass muster with voters, agreeing a temporary ban and, possibly, a town-wide vote on the topic would settle matters.

"I think its a mistake if we don't address this issue," Peterson said.

Mackstutis referenced estimates of Simsbury's financial benefit as being about $90,000 a year in tax dollars for new operations, though the true impact is still considered widely unknown.

But she said the real benefit comes from the state, whose coffers stand to grow as pot tax revenue lines the Connecticut's wallet.

As for what board should decide pot sales in town, Mackstutis said most towns are leaning along her land-use board opinion, though state regulations legalizing pot leave it up to the towns to decide who mandates the process.

"The option in state law was to leave it to your land-use board or, potentially, have your council vote on it," said Mackstutis.

She said some towns allowed voters to have the final say, such as Litchfield.

For the minutes of the Jan. 9 Simsbury Board of Selectmen meeting, click on this link.