After legalizing medical marijuana in November last year, some Mass. cities and towns have proposed new legislation that will limit the number of locations where dispensaries can open for business.
More than 115 municipalities in Mass. have passed new measures that slow down pot clubs' clearance to start selling for a certain amount of time. Other suspensions have drawn up zoning lines to restrict dispensaries from opening in certain areas.
The Department of Public Health has been assigned to work on the legislation. Their latest analysis shows that more than 115 municipalities have passed short-term bans that require weed shops to sell marijuana they have personally cultivated, according to news station WWLP.
To apply for an open dispensary, a business owner must submit an initial application, then will be screened to ensure that the applicant "will be compliant with local codes, ordinances and bylaws for the physical address," DPH regulations outline.
Dispensaries in the area will most likely be registered to open by January 2014, if not sooner.
Lawrence City councilmember Frank Moran told WWLP that he's willing to work around the laws.
"Personally, I am against it in my city, but since we can't not permit, we have to make sure that we zone it in certain locations," he said.
Lawrence, along with Bellingham, was the only one of two municipalities that struck down the ballot referendum. Moran stated that adult entertainment venues were also zoned out of the area where marijuana dispensaries have been barred.
"The city of Lawrence, they spoke very loud and clear. They don't want it in the city," Moran said.
Even in areas where voters showed support for the referendum, some have moved to pass legislation that will slow the dispensary opening process.
"We just wanted to make sure we had enough time with volunteers meeting only twice a month, to do this in a thoughtful manner," Charlene Nardi, town administrator for Williamsburg, where almost 80 percent of citizens voted in favor of the legalization of medical pot. "There's no desire to not allow them."
Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance Executive Director Matthew Allen said that residents should have a say in the matter.
"I think it is appropriate for local municipalities to have a voice in the siting of dispensaries," he said. "Over the next few months, we're going to see a lot of discussions at the local level."
