LUDLOW, Maine — Discussion on a proposed ordinance to ban recreational marijuana businesses within the town drew considerable discussion from the public Wednesday evening during a public hearing on the issue.
The same, however, could not be said for the town’s plans to withdraw from SAD 70.
About 50 people jammed into the Ludlow Town Office meeting room to offer questions and comments on the proposed marijuana ordinance. The ordinance came about via the efforts of a citizens’ petition that seeks to bring the matter back before the voters.
Residents will decide the fate of both the marijuana ordinance and school withdrawal proposal at the Nov. 7 election.
Those gathered spent nearly 40 minutes discussing the ordinance, with strong cases made by those on both sides of the issue.
But when it came time to hear public comments on the town’s plan to withdraw from SAD 70, many of those in attendance opted to leave, with just 11 people remaining to ask questions on that plan.
“It was disappointing that so many people left,” Town Manager Diane Hines said. “I think a lot of people have already made up their minds (on the withdrawal).”
“I wish that they hadn’t left, but the majority of those who left probably did not have school-age children, so they truly believed that we had the best interest of the children at heart,” board member Roxanne Bruce added.
The issue of whether the town should adopt a marijuana ordinance has been discussed several times. Hines said the marijuana issue was first brought to the town’s attention back in March when an individual approached officials about opening a marijuana shop in the community.
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.
During Wednesday’s meeting, about 12 people spoke on the ordinance. Each person was allotted two minutes to make his or her point.
“In this great country of ours it is our right to have an opinion,” board member Laura Geiger said. “It is a right that we have had many soldiers die for. We have the freedom to have an opinion, so please don’t be uncivil to your neighbors just because they may not think the same way you do.”
Geiger explained it was the selectmen’s job to represent the wishes of the people in Ludlow, and therefore needed to hear people’s opinions on both the marijuana ordinance and the school withdrawal proposal.
Town Manager Diane Hines said the marijuana ordinance was back on the table for public discussion as a result of a citizens’ petition effort 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.
A medical marijuana business would like to open within the town. That business, which is operated by Floyd Boyett, Mike Crowley and Barry Dow, also would like to expand to include recreational sales.
“I am not a real educated man, but I do know dollars and cents,” said resident Jim Matthews. “Marijuana is on the cutting edge and you have to be aware of what is happening in the world. We have a great opportunity here in Ludlow to start things off right and bring a little revenue into the town. It would be nice to see a little jingle in this town once again.”
Matthews added he likes the way marijuana “makes me feel” and said the town should consider the economic benefit it could receive if a retail store opened in the community.
Resident Robert Merrill said he has been a marijuana user for his entire life and welcomed the opportunity for Ludlow to bring in jobs. “I am probably going to have to work until the day I die, and it would be nice to think I could find a place (in town) to work,” he said.
Joan Barton, a non-resident property owner in the community, stated she was against the idea of retail marijuana stores and growing facilities in the town because of the lost productivity that would follow from a workforce associated with marijuana use. She also stated there was the opportunity for increased crime.
Resident Tim Desmond said he did not have any issue with the medical aspect of the drug, but felt making it readily available could have a negative impact. “It does affect the mind and I don’t know how you can then make intelligent decisions,” Desmond said.
Boyett, a medical marijuana caregiver, said he felt his group has not had an opportunity to explain what they would like to do in Ludlow.
“We are not trying to do what Houlton is doing,” he said. “We are called the Healing Center of Aroostook County and that is what we are trying to do. We would like to purchase the property around our facility and bring patients to a private facility where they can get help. That means helping people with epilepsy and PTSD. That is the kind of place I am trying to provide. I am not trying to provide a place for people to get stoned. I am trying to bring the medical side into a retail environment.”
Currently, under Maine law, an individual must apply to the state to receive a medical marijuana card. Boyett said by offering marijuana in a retail setting, individuals could skip that process to see if marijuana is right for them.
“We want to bring medicine to the people that really need it,” he added. “We can’t control the black market, but what happens at our facility we could control.”
Crowley, who is a medical caregiver, said “We are passionate about what we do and would like to come into this community to generate more jobs,” he said.
Crowley added that he uses marijuana every day and claims it does not put people in a drug haze.
There was considerably less discussion during the hearing on Ludlow’s withdrawal proposal. The town has been moving forward with its withdrawal plan since April 2016, when residents voted 44-19 at the annual town meeting to pursue leaving the district. Voters will ultimately decide the withdrawal at the November election. A two-thirds majority is needed to successfully withdraw.
Ludlow has been a member of SAD 70 since 1973. By withdrawing from SAD 70 and switching to RSU 29, Ludlow officials believe they will be able to save about $44,000 per year to educate their students.
SAD 70 serves the communities of Amity, Cary Plantation, Haynesville, Hodgdon, Linneus, Ludlow and New Limerick. RSU 29 serves Houlton, Hammond, Littleton and Monticello.
On April 1, the last official count of students in the town, there were 43 students residing in Ludlow. Of that amount, 31 were attending classes in SAD 70, while 12 were attending RSU 29.
“All of our schools are decreasing,” Geiger said. “In order for a school to stay open, they are trying to get the students. At the rate at which students are decreasing, we wanted to put our money and students into a school that we felt was most likely to last.”
The town needs a two-thirds majority vote to withdraw from the school district.
