Recreational Marijuana Vote Placed on Stoughton Ballot

STOUGHTON, MA — Recreational marijuana may be legal in Massachusetts but residents will be asked if they want to ban businesses related to the drug from town.

The selectmen voted Tuesday night to place a question on the town election ballot that will ask voters to prohibit all types of recreational marijuana establishments including cultivating, testing, product manufacturers, retailers, or any type of marijuana-licensed business

“This would keep recreational marijuana and the sale outside the town,” Town Manager Michael Hartman said.

In November, Stoughton residents voted in favor of Question 4, the ballot question to legalize marijuana, by 263 votes. According to the statewide ballot question, communities can opt-out of the business component of the law through a ballot question. A zoning bylaw would also have to be approved at a future Town Meeting.

The new ballot question would only pertain to recreational marijuana and would not affect medical marijuana.

Per town rules, the annual town election is held 27 days before the Annual Town Meeting, placing election day this year on April 4.

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