Recreational Marijuana In Brookline? Officials Want Your Feedback

BROOKLINE, MA — Brookline could have recreational pot shops showing up in town as early as this summer. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is slated to begin accepting applications in April from smoke shops and other establishments to have recreational marijuana licenses.

If the applications are approved by the state commission, licenses would allow recreational marijuana establishments to open for business as early as June 1, 2018 in communities across the Commonwealth, including Brookline.

In an attempt to get out ahead of the issue as it relates to local regulation, the Brookline town officials have begun looking into the issues and possible approaches. The planning department expects to submit a Warrant Article for consideration at the May 2018 Annual Town Meeting on the issue. But first the department is looking for direction from folks around town and is asking residents with an opinion to fill out a survey.

What's the issue?

The legislation permits local regulation by General or Zoning By-Law of the time, place, and manner of marijuana establishments, with some limitations. Some types of local law regulation require approval in a town-wide referendum in addition to a favorable Town Meeting vote, whereas some regulations require only a favorable Town Meeting vote, according to the Brookline Planning department.

An example under consideration by the Licensing Review Committee and the Planning and Community Development Department for local regulation includes a proposal regarding the number of recreational marijuana establishments to be allowed in Brookline.

Using this example, Brookline has three options for local regulation regarding a cap:

1. The Town could not set a cap. This option would require neither town-wide referendum nor Town Meeting approval under the new marijuana law.
2. The town could set a cap at or above 20 percent of package store licenses issued. This option would require Town Meeting approval under the new marijuana law. Town Meeting Members could opt for an exact number (i.e., the town of Amherst decided on 8 licenses in their most recent Town Meeting) or a percentage of package store licenses issued (i.e., this could be a varying number as additional package store licenses are issued). Since Brookline has 19 package store licenses issued today (but it may issue up to 24), this cap could allow 4 or more recreational marijuana establishments to be licensed.
3. The Town could cap the quantity of marijuana retailers to any number below 20 percent of package store licenses issued. This option would require a by-law that is voted favorably by Town Meeting and residents in a Town-wide vote (since the Town voted in favor of the recreational marijuana legalization).

Link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8D2ZYLP

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