Committee Organizes to Oppose Milford Referendum

Milford, MA – A group of Milford residents today announced the official launch of Milford Citizens for Fairness, a committee opposed to the September 19th town-wide referendum that would ban all types of marijuana-related businesses in town.

Last fall, Milford residents voted to legalize recreational marijuana, with a majority supporting legalization. Now, a small group is trying to quietly undo that vote and ban all marijuana-related businesses in town, and threatening existing businesses that currently serve the medical marijuana industry.

According to Milford Citizens for Fairness spokesperson Bryan Cole, the process has lacked transparency from the beginning and completely tramples the vote of the people. “The statewide referendum did allow towns to opt out, but the group behind this question has pushed through drastic changes during the summer months when a lot of people weren’t paying attention,” said Cole. “It sets a dangerous precedent for future referendums in Milford.”

The ballots were initially printed with language that more narrowly restricted future recreational sales in town. In mid-August, the wording on the ballot was changed with very little public discussion. At that point, a new set of ballots were mailed that expanded the question to ban not only retail sales, but also existing businesses currently serving the medical marijuana industry. Now, in addition to having our votes overturned, the town stands to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in annual revenue and hundreds of local jobs.

Milford Citizens for Fairness strongly encourage our neighbors, colleagues and friends to vote NO on September 19th.

To learn more, or to join Milford Citizens for Fairness, visit www.milfordcitizensforfairness.com.