The Edgecomb Planning Board is in the early stages of drafting a new ordinance which would allow retail sales and commercial growth of recreational marijuana. The board and ordinance review committee met jointly Oct. 5, discussing whether a municipal ordinance should ban or allow commercial marijuana activities. In November 2016, Edgecomb voters joined the rest of Maine in approving legalized retail marijuana. Edgecomb voters favored the state referendum, 437-373.

But last summer, the two panels solicited residents’ views on six activities relating to legalized retail and commercial growing of marijuana. A town-wide mailing was sent to 600-plus residences. The survey showed that 52 percent (116 of 222 respondents) wanted a total prohibition of all commercial acts related to legalized marijuana. Other survey questions included cultivation (42 percent approved), manufacturing (40.9 percent approved), testing (39.6 percent approved), retail sales (40 percent approved)  and social clubs (26.5 percent approved).

But the eight-person joint committee consisting of Jack French, Barry Hathorne, David Nutt, David Boucher, Pat Jeremiah, Skip White, Sue Carlson and Gretchen Burleigh Johnson all agreed a restrictive retail and commercial marijuana growing ordinance should be written. 

“The purpose of the survey was to get a better understanding of how the community felt about an ordinance. The results were mixed so we are proceeding with drafting a restrictive ordinance by limiting it in certain locations,” said Planning Board Chairman Jack French.

The panels want to submit a proposed retail marijuana ordinance before the state’s moratorium on legalized retail and commercial marijuana growing expires in February 2018. They plan on writing a separate ordinance regarding each of the six retail marijuana-related activities.