LUDLOW, Maine — Voters in Ludlow will once again be asked if they wish to ban the sale and growth of marijuana in their community.
Members of the town’s board of selectmen agreed Wednesday evening to accept a citizen’s petition seeking to put the matter back before voters. The move comes even though the town just voted on a similar measure in June.
By accepting the petition, selectmen agreed to place the question on the Nov. 7 ballot. The November referendum question will read as follows: “Do you want to ban the sale and cultivation of marijuana in Ludlow, according to the ordinance written by the Ludlow Selectmen?”
The petition, which was circulated by resident Greg Bagley, bore the names of 50 residents in the community. Only 25 signatures were needed for the document to become official.
Moving forward with the request did not come easy at Wednesday’s meeting. Selectman Roxanne Bruce expressed opposition to the request because she felt the voters had already spoken.
“I am against re-voting on the same thing,” Bruce said. “People had a chance to vote.”
Board chairman Theron Bickford countered that it was selectmen who brought forth the ordinance for the first public vote, whereas this time it was a citizen-led initiative.
“We put it forth the first time,” Bickford said. “I think the citizens deserve one chance to put it forth a second time. If we don’t send it forward, I think we are sending a pretty strong message to the citizens of this town that we are not listening.”
Bickford said the councilors “owe it to them to put it out there again, better explained, so they understand what they are voting for.”
However, Bickford added that should the vote fail again at the polls in November, he would not be in favor of continued petition attempts.
Town Manager Diane Hines said she heard from numerous residents who voted “no” in June because they thought a “yes” vote meant they were in favor of marijuana. She also felt more people would turn out for the vote in November since it the ballot also will include a question regarding the town withdrawing from SAD 70.
Back in June, voters were asked if they wanted to approve an ordinance that would prohibit all retail recreational marijuana establishments as defined by the state. That ordinance would have included stores, cultivation and manufacturing facilities as well as marijuana social clubs.
That measure failed to pass by a vote of 63 in favor and 66 opposed. There are 307 registered voters in the town.
The question voters will face in November could cause the same confusion as a “yes” vote means the resident wants marijuana banned, while a “no” vote means they are in favor of businesses and growing facilities within the town.
“We will have to do a better job of educating the public,” Hines said.
A public hearing on the vote will be held Oct. 11 at the Ludlow Town Office.
Even though a statewide, citizen-led referendum made recreational marijuana legal last year, no related businesses can officially open at least until February 2018 while the state develops rules to implement the law.
Possessing and growing marijuana for recreational use now is legal, but buying or selling it is not until the new regulations are implemented. Those regulations from the state could be approved this fall. A private citizen, who is over the age of 21, is allowed to grow up to 12 marijuana plants at his residence for personal use.
