HOULTON, Maine – A new Houlton town ordinance, if passed, makes sure that local medical marijuana caregiver facilities can continue serving patients at retail locations.
On Monday night, the Houlton Town Council introduced a new marijuana ordinance that allows existing – prior to July 25, 2024 – state licensed medical marijuana caregiver retail stores to continue operating, despite a town ban on retail marijuana shops.
All retail marijuana establishments, including retail marijuana testing facilities, retail marijuana cultivation facilities and retail marijuana social clubs would still be prohibited, according to the proposed ordinance. But under the new ordinance there is an exemption for medical marijuana caregiver retail stores.
Maine legalized recreational marijuana in 2016. But Houlton residents voted to not allow the sale of recreational marijuana in town the following year.
During a town council meeting earlier this month, the owner of a Houlton medical marijuana dispensary asked the town council to consider changing the wording of an existing town ordinance to assure medical marijuana dispensaries could continue operating.
Zach Waite, owner of Lifted Medical Marijuana in Houlton, said that a state Office of Cannabis Policy rule change would affect how Houlton dispensaries serve their patients.
Waite said the updated ruling requires that caregivers provide an authorization form from the town to continue serving patients in caregiver retail stories or dispensary offices.
“This is a substantial change in policy in the way we can serve our patients and will make it impossible to provide our patients with much needed medicine without your approval,” Waite explained.
At that meeting, Councilor Eileen McLaughlin said the town already voted against retail stores and the new language to the ordinance would violate the town vote.
Nonetheless, according to Houlton Town Manager Jeremy Smith, the town attorney prepared the new ordinance to assure compliance with existing laws.
On Monday night, several residents spoke during the public comment time in support of the changes in the proposed new ordinance.
Although one Houlton woman was opposed.
She said that when she walked into the home of a regular marijuana user it was heavy and oppressive, adding that people with a medical marijuana card are happy to get their stash and they are happy to share it.
The next speaker, Steven Cole, who supports the ordinance, said that the correct term is not pot but cannabis, adding that there is a lot of public misinformation coming from both sides over the last few weeks.
“I encourage people to educate themselves and truly inform themselves instead of going with popular opinion or something from your friends, ” Cole said, adding that when the town voted no to marijuana retail establishments in 2018, many people thought they voted no to all marijuana.
Cole listed the death rates from alcohol, obesity and smoking.
“The truth is there are no marijuana overdose deaths,” he said. “We have over 262,541 obesity deaths that can be directly correlated with poor diet. So why are we not trying to limit that?”
Another speaker said that she and her family moved across the country to Houlton this past year because of the medical marijuana program.
“One of the things we liked about here is that you have caregivers,” she said, explaining that she was a retired Battalion Command Chief. “I wanted you to know that there are people who have moved here because of this.”
McLaughlin again expressed her concerns about medical marijuana retail locations.
“I am concerned that it is very easy to get a (medical Marijuana) card,” she said.
Council Chairman Chris Robinson explained the ordinance approval process.
The first reading of the ordinance will be on Sept. 9 during the town council meeting and a public hearing on the matter is scheduled for Sept. 23, he said, adding that because there were so many people at Monday night’s meeting they will schedule a larger location for the public hearing.
“It is important that we get as much public input as possible,” Robinson said. “I know there are various concerns. But we will make sure if you want to speak you will have the ability to voice your opinion.”
