Burlington Just Saying No To Recreational Marijuana Sales

BURLINGTON, MA -- The Burlington Planning Board voted 6-0 to endorse a petition that would change the town's zoning laws to prohibit establishments from selling recreational marijuana under the state's recently-passed marijuana legalization laws. Seperately, Burlington Selectmen are working on a general bylaw that would also prohibit recreational marijuana sales.

Neither law would prohibit possession or consumption of marijuana in private residences. The laws would also not prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in Burlington. Town meeting passed a moratorium on recreational marijuana last year which lasts at least through the end of next year.

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Last year Massachusetts voters supported a referendum to legalize recreational marijuana use and sales by a margin of 1,745,394 to 1,511,747. But in Burlington, voters opposed the measure 7,615 to 6,253. The law is not expected to go into effect until at least January 1, 2018, and many towns have been moving to write laws that would prohibit pot shops from opening within their borders.

The bylaws endorsed by the planning commission need to be approved by town meeting. The Daily Times Chronicle reported that the bylaw amendment is on the warrant for the Sept. 25 Town Meeting.

For more on this story, see the Daily Times Chronicle.

Photo by Cannabis Training University via Wikimedia Commons.