2 Questions About Recreational Marijuana On Framingham Ballot

FRAMINGHAM, MA–On Tuesday night, Framingham Board of Selectmen voted to put two questions regarding recreational marijuana on the Nov. 7 city election ballot.

This election marks the first time Framingham will elect a mayor and a city council, and the selectmen say they are putting to the voters the decision of whether or not to give the control over recreational marijuana sales to the new government.

The first question on the ballot asks the voters if they wish to impose the 3 percent local options tax on the sale of recreational marijuana in Framingham.

The second question allows the voters to decide whether they want to give the new city council the power to pass ordinances regarding recreational marijuana retail establishments. Under the recently signed legislation, because Framingham voters voted to approve recreational marijuana, the city has to allow at least as many recreational marijuana retail establishments as they have medical dispensaries, said the selectmen's announcement.

Two medical dispensaries have been issued permission to operate in Framingham from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. That means that Framingham will also be required to have at least two recreational outlets if companies wanted to open them.

Under the recently signed legislation, the initially permitted sites would have the first opportunities to open recreational establishments.

“We don’t want to complicate an already complicated election season," said Framingham Selectmen Chairman Cheryl Tully Stoll in a statement. "Unfortunately, the timing of the State Legislation that changed the rules of the Recreational Marijuana referendum passed by the voters and necessitated that we take action in order to give Framingham voters an opportunity to have a say regarding the changes made to their initial decision. Our objective is to give the voters of Framingham a chance to weigh in on the alterations made to the referendum question after their vote. We felt that it was our obligation to give them that opportunity. ”

Jim Pillsbury, a Framingham resident, and a long-time leading advocate for the legalization of marijuana in Massachusetts, was at Tuesday's selectmen’s meeting and agreed with the Board’s decision to place the two questions on the November ballot, said the announcement. During the meeting he stated that he was “fine” with the Board’s decision.

Selectman Charlie Sisitsky asked Town Council Amanda Zuretti if supporting these measures would in any way be contrary with the board’s position taken at their last meeting regarding not asking Town Meeting for a temporary moratorium. She said it wouldn't be contrary, that they were indeed two different things.

Framingham is holding its first city election on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and these two questions will be on that ballot along with the candidates for the first Mayor, City Council and a nine-member district-based school committee.

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