Politics & Government

Residents Make Decision on Medical Marijuana Moratorium

During the second night of Subsequent Town Meeting, Reading voters decided on three articles.

Subsequent Town Meeting came to a close after two nights as voters passed three articles Thursday night, including a one-year moratorium on medical marijuana.

In 2012 at Special Town Meeting, voters decided to prohibit medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in Reading. In 2013, however, the Attorney General disapproved of the prohibition and town officials began to instead work towards a potential moratorium that would delay action until November 10, 2014.

On Thursday inside Reading Memorial High School, that plan was solidified thanks to a vote of 118-7. A proposed amendment to postpone the decision indefinitely failed by a wide margin prior to the vote.

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During the moratorium, town officials said they will decide where dispensaries would be allowed, how to allow zoning use with minimal impact on residents, and how to develop zoning within state regulations. In addition, officials will work with community partners and hold public forums on the topic.

There was little discussion before the vote, though a handful of residents stepped to the microphone to weigh in on the issue.

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“I’m going to vote to support this, but not because I oppose dispensaries,” said one voter. “I think the town needs a year to examine the anxiety it has for this law. I think we need to look at other towns and use the year to examine what concerns we have in a more thoughtful manner. These are not pot shops for drug addicts. They’re patients.”

Additional Articles Passed

In addition to the moratorium, two other zoning items were approved during the second night of Town Meeting.

The majority of the night’s discussion centered around Article 14, which asked residents to approve a zoning requirement for the number of parking spaces at churches and schools that are built in the future. Reading Public Schools are exempt from the requirements.

According to the article, nursery, kindergarten, elementary or middle schools that are build must have one space per employee on the largest shift and one space per seven students. High schools must have one space per employee plus one space for every three students.

For churches, one space for each 300 square feet of gross floor area was written into the article.

Though several residents voices their objection to the requirements to churches in particular, the article passed by a 102-23 margin.

Article 13 was the first item up for discussion on the night. By a unanimous vote, residents approved zoning changes that will allow a developer some flexibility at a parcel of land adjacent to Johnson Woods.


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