Voters May Be Asked To Extend Mansfield Marijuana Moratorium

MANSFIELD, MA — Town officials may seek to extend the town’s recreational marijuana moratorium until late next year.

The selectmen discussed the idea at their meeting last week with the planning board. The current moratorium expires Nov. 30, 2018, but a lack of direction from the state and town policy regarding zoning have led to a proposal from the planning board to extend the temporary ban.

Town residents who took part in the 2016 election voted 51.14 percent in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana statewide. The town, however, has taken few actions aside from the moratorium.

A moratorium extension would need to be approved at the next town meeting. The town could also outright ban the sale of recreational marijuana with a vote at town meeting and at the voting polls.

“We do need to do something probably do address at least the moratorium,” Planning board Chairman Thomas French said.

Mansfield did approve a medical marijuana facility in the Forbes Business Park. The two types of marijuana are regulated by different sets of rules.

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