RANGELEY – Voters rejected an ordinance that would have allowed marijuana-related businesses to operate with a license Tuesday, by a vote of 171 to 294.
The vote marks the second time this year that residents have rejected an ordinance that would enable the opening of marijuana cultivation, manufacturing and retail businesses. At the annual town meeting in June, voters rejected a separate ordinance – Town of Rangeley Marijuana Business and Facilities Ordinance – by a vote of 120 in favor to 166 opposed. The ordinance under consideration Tuesday – the Marijuana Business Regulation Ordinance – was brought before Rangeley voters via a petition process.
The ordinance would have allowed for the establishment of marijuana-related businesses if the owner or owners acquired a license through the town’s planning board. Such businesses would have been somewhat restricted in location: setbacks for churches, schools, daycare facilities and other marijuana-related businesses were included within the ordinance, as well as hours of operation. The ordinance mandated security features as well as systems to control odor.
The ordinance was rejected by a vote of 171 to 294, with 2 blank ballots.
Makes complete sense, why bother creating jobs and tax revenue, all while pumping cash into the local economy. It is easier to stay in the past and feel safe from a “evil” plant.
Some towns choose not to have half their area stink like wet skunk bud, or have their town ‘image’ be that of drug use, hypocritical or not (here come the ‘alcohol’ comments; wouldn’t want a beer factory either, stinking up the place). Sure, the entire local economy will just DIE because they don’t have a big inside grow operation, LOL! Wicked funny. FARMINGTON is the grow town here; why would they want the competition?
You couldn’t site a pig farm on Main St., but stink pot? Sure, bring it on! “Hemp is the wonder material, better than carbon fiber! It’s a MIRACLE!”.
“Hug me honey, til I’m in a coma….” Good for you, Rangeley.
Where I live in a nice neighborhood in Farmington, my neighbors across the street and on one side of us have now started growing weed for sale. They have generators running 24/7 to keep the grow alive over the fall and winter, equally noise pollution for our neighborhood. We have people of all sorts showing up to the property across the street buying weed (which is a mind and mood-altering drug, I don’t care how legal), at all times of day. Turns out you can sell right from your property, with no restrictions. My kids can’t play outside without smelling weed drifting down from the farm next door, or seeing people buying drugs.
The best part? Because it’s not regulated and growers don’t have to register their grow, we’re not taxing these businesses, there is no oversight by law enforcement, and there’s nothing we can do, the cops tell us. Awesome!
By the way, I’m a doctor, and weed kills brains cells, and lowers IQ. Half the pregnant women in Franklin county are smoking weed. We do not need to be encouraging access to weed. PS maine, no one is benefitting from everyone getting dumber. JUST SAYING.
Erika- you are right on. Many areas in Farmington are seeing the same issues..Yep good ole Farmington -the stink “pot” of Maine.
Dr Erika Schumacher: My question is why are so many docs prescribing marijuana use and telling people the wonderful effects it has? Pediatricians not so much, but Doctors…. As I recall in order to get your medical marijuana card, you were required to see a Doctor?
Smell is a non issue, There is no reason anyone should ever smell anything coming out of a building. Very easy and cheap to set up a filter system just like the “outlaws” did for years. That is all about the ordinance that the towns set up regarding the smell.
Its already in every town, claiming that disallowing a business is going to change any thing is just foolish.
Pretty funny that the stink of the paper mills was just the smell of money, but a little pot is the end of the world.
Way too much misinformation out there. Any one currently selling is a caregiver as rec sales are not legal. Saying you can sell from your property with no restrictions, only proves that you are not educated on the subject and invalidates your comments.
“A little pot smell”. Yeah, OK – go live next to one! I’d rather smell pig crap than wet skunk weed CONTINUOUSLY.
That’s not disinformation, it’s FACT…get out much? Go smell some, LOL. And go hang with a few ‘chronics’ if you need more research. A brewery stenching all over town would be closed.
I’m with Erika. A little something now and again, hey, no problem. But this is really epidemic. We’re over-regulated, yes, but society does need SOME control on issues that affect many others; your home is worthless near some of these places.
Cigs – HORRIBLE! Weed? Right on! Stupid message, gov’t people.
Apparently your either not a good doctor or your just lying for fun here, marijuana Does not kill brain cells and the study you speak of was so debunked it’s not even funny. Go ahead and google does weed kill brain cells, and read your own medical journals.
Do people with low IQs smoke marijuana? Yes I’m sure some do but let’s ask Richard Branson or Elan Musk etc….if marijuana hurt their IQ.
Many things are mood altering such as caffeine, sugar, nicotine….etc. this does not make them harmful.
I think having a Doctor outright lie to me is far worse than anything marijuana has ever done or can do.