Braintree Councilors Discuss Banning Recreational and Medical Marijuana Businesses

BRAINTREE, MA — While most members of the town council on the rules and ordinance committee are on the same page when it comes to banning recreational marijuana businesses, there is a split when it comes to medical marijuana.

The committee held a preliminary discussion Tuesday night on actions the town can take to ban any business that sells, grows, distributes, or produces the recently legalized drug. While towns can outlaw recreational marijuana businesses with a referendum ballot question, that may change following a development in the marijuana bill at the state house. In a proposed compromise bill, communities that voted to legalize marijuana could outlaw the businesses with a ballot question while communities, like Braintree, that voted against legalization could keep it out of town could ban it with a vote from elected officials.

The committee, however, preferred that the residents made the decision, as is allowed by the town charter. Councilors Dan Clifford, Mike Owens, and Tom Bowes were unanimous in a question for recreational marijuana but debated also banning medical marijuana businesses as well. Councilor John Mullaney and council President Sean Powers were not present.

Clifford said his concern with medical marijuana were people who could potentially abuse the system, adding that he did believe that it should be accessible to people who have cancer, extreme anxiety, and chronic illness.

“For those who need it, there is no problem getting it, we have a dispensary in Quincy,” Clifford said.

Owens said he would not support a ballot question that outlawed medical marijuana.

“(Medical marijuana) has been around for a long time and we haven’t seen the sky fall or the dramatic effects that we were told that we would see,” Owen said. “I fundamentally disagree with anything that prohibits medical marijuana in the town.”

Bowes said he needed more time to do research on the issue of medical marijuana.

While Braintree said no to recreational marijuana, the town voted 10,689-8,023 when medical marijuana legalization was on 2012 election ballot.

If marijuana businesses are banned from setting up shop in Braintree, the laws regarding in-home consumption would not be affected.

The committee is aiming to have a ballot question submitted to the town clerk’s office by Oct. 1. They plan on meeting again and inviting experts on the issue to discuss both sides.

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