Milford Votes Yes To Ban Recreational Pot Shops

MILFORD, MA—Milford joined the state last November in saying yes, slightly, to allowing the recreational sale of marijuana. In the town vote, 51.9 percent gave the thumbs up, complementing the 53.6 percent Massachusetts vote to do so.

On Sept. 19, at a special town election, Milford voters decided whether or not to ban recreational pot, which has caused a bit of a civil war in town.

The town said yes to banning the shops in their town, with 56.3 percent (3,027 votes) voting yes, and 43.7 (2,351) voting no. There are 18140 registered voters in Milford, with 5,378 turning out to cast ballots, accounting for 29.6 percent of registered voters.

For weeks, Milford residents have battled it out on social media, in forums, and particularly by sending a barrage of letters to the editor to Patch, about the special election. "No" voters claimed that a group led by MilfordCARES worked over the summer with the Board of Selectmen to revisit the question and push the referendum. "Yes" voters argued that the sale of marijuana is simply bad for the town and flies against its push to focus on quality of life.

"A majority of Milford residents voted last November in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in Massachusetts," wrote resident Petra Oliva. "Now, a small group is trying to quietly overturn the vote and also ban existing licensed businesses in town through a special election. Why are they trying to make us vote again?

Mike Barton wrote, "Along with everything else we already knew about the associated dangers, after listening to the information presented by the speakers at a forum, there is no way in a million years that any reasonable and responsible person would want to allow recreational marijuana facilities in Milford."

The issue contentious, MilfordCARES, which led the campaign for the "yes to ban" vote on the question, had its chairperson's car vandalized over the weekend, and the group received a threatening letter.

The referendum would have allowed marijuana establishments, because of zoning bylaws voted on by the Board of Selectmen, in only commercial plazas.

Here are the voting locations:

Precincts 1 and 6- Milford Senior Center, 60 North Bow St

Precincts 2 and 3- Italian American Veterans Hall, 4 Hayward Field

Precincts 4, 5, 7 and 8- Milford Portuguese Club, 119 Prospect Heights

Find the result of the Sept. 19 vote here. The story will be updated as information is available.

Photo via Shutterstock