Planning Board Recommends Moratorium on Recreational Marijuana in Watertown

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The Planning Board voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend that the Town Council adopt a 12-month moratorium on recreational marijuana facilities in Watertown.

The state ballot question to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana passed more than a year ago, but the town has not adopted any policy on recreational marijuana facilities, said Watertown Senior Planner Gideon Schreiber.

“We have been waiting for the state to come out with their guidance and they still haven’t come out with their guidance,” Schreiber said.

Watertown allows medical marijuana facilities in industrial zones, and the town has approved a medical marijuana facility to go on Elm Street. To go to a medical marijuana facility in Massachusetts, people must have a state medical marijuana ID card, only available with a prescription from a doctor. Recreational marijuana facilities would be open to anyone 21 or older.

Currently, recreational marijuana facilities are not included in the Watertown Zoning Ordinance, so it would not be allowed at this time, Schreiber said.

Some communities have chosen to move forward to make rules about recreational marijuana, Schreiber said. Those communities may have to go back and amend their rules if they do not align with the state’s rules.

Watertown’s attorney recommended the town seek a moratorium, which must be added as a change to the zoning ordinance, Schreiber said.

The Planning Board voted 5-0 to endorse a 12-month moratorium on recreational marijuana facilities in Watertown.

2 thoughts on “Planning Board Recommends Moratorium on Recreational Marijuana in Watertown

  1. So all the hype over cigarettes and lung cancer and tobacco companies were for what….? If you want to implement recreational pot, please do it in any form except inhaling it as you know the cancer rates will rise, all sorts of respiratory illnesses to come more than now and inhaling it just seems a step backward from all the damage tobacco has done. Now we add in smoke and mind-altering magic to the “pot” of poison? It is a mind-altering drug so with it comes the burden of those driving and mixing more mind-altering drugs … I hope there is a statewide plan for what’s to come. Our police departments nationwide have so much to deal with already and now too oh boy! Medical is clearly understandable, I’m all for it but smoking dope is not going to be a good idea. I am for it in any other form for the ONLY reason being that perhaps others may not buy laced pot and end up dropping dead because it is laced with deadly junk and that is the only reason I changed my mind, but still stand strong against the inhalation of it. I would think long and hard before making any decisions here, just saying.

    • Yeah, okay a couple things here that throw me off of what sounds like a heart full point of no rise in cancer. But, what does that have to do with cops, Weed isn’t “Dope”, “Dope” is a slang for heroin. You may call it that but you might confuse someone the wrong way saying g someone is smoking dope next thing you know that person thinks the other person is doing heroin. Another point, is that even til this day there has not been one weed related car accidents and none atleast recorded. Now as such a drug is it’s not as crazy and mind altering that you may think. You do have a point of how we must intake it but I’m sure since we can’t smoke indoors as a whole to begin with I’m sure they won’t just up and change that law for weed.

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