TELL US: Should Chelmsford Allow Marijuana Dispensaries, And If So, Where?

Last fall, voters across the Commonwealth approved legalizing medical marijuana dispensaries, but rules regulating those dispenaries are not yet in place, leaving a question asked by the Planning Board last week: is it worth having them here?

Drawing upon a recent article in the Boston Globe about efforts in Scituate, the Board discussed potentially bringing a warrant article to Town Meeting setting local guidelines for dispensaries, or even the prohibition of them, before possible regulations might be forced upon the town from Beacon Hill.

It remains unclear if local regulations set in place prior to state regulations would pass muster with the Attorney General's office, and debate also ensued over where dispensaries would be allowed in town if Chelmsford was required to allow them, with opinions ranging from limiting them to Limited Industrial zoned districts (see attached map) to less restrictive zoning regulations.

So today, we want to ask you for your take on this issue. We'll keep you up to date with further information locally and throughout the state on this topic as it develops.