At a special town meeting Jan. 18, Damariscotta voted to enact a six-month moratorium on the recreational sales of marijuana. By law, a temporary moratorium is good for 180 days, and can be extended for another three months if warranted.

The moratorium will keep the town from accepting applications or granting licenses to commercial marijuana growers, testing facilities, retail establishments! and social clubs, where people could purchase and use the herb.

Because there is no rulemaking as of yet, selectmen decided to ask voters to put the issue on hold until decisions were finalized in the state legislature, and the town is able to make some decisions over where establishments could be sited, what rules would be enacted about signage, and other issues.

If the town had not enacted the moratorium, it could have begun receiving applications as early as Feb. 1.

The town also voted to sell a small property in the Elm Street parking lot to King Eider’s Pub for outdoor seating. In previous select board meetings, the neighbors of King Eider’s Pub had agreed with the decision to lease the land to the pub. This vote clears the way for King Eider’s to purchase the plot of land for $5,000. It will be fenced off, and any alcoholic beverages will have to be kept in the dining area.