60-day ordinance prevents pot dispensaries
CARIBOU — City Council unanimously voted to pass a 60-day emergency ordinance preventing any marijuana dispensaries or social clubs in the city limits.
According to City Manager Austin Bleess, one individual has already sent a site design review application for a marijuana dispensary.
In addition to the emergency ordinance, which went into effect on Monday, Nov. 14, the council is set to hold a public hearing for a regular ordinance, on Nov. 28. According to Bleess, the emergency ordinance lasts 60 days, while the regular ordinance is effective for 180 days. If the council passes the regular ordinance, Nov. 14 would be the first of those 180 days.
During the Nov. 8 election, 1,510 Caribou residents voted to allow recreational marijuana use in Maine while 2,523 voted against Question 1. However, the measure narrowly passed at the state level with 373,236 voting in favor and 371,045 opposed.
Recreational marijuana opponents are seeking to have a formal recount.
Bleess “We don’t anticipate the state completing all of their rules/regulations until late spring at the earliest and that assumes the recount goes forward and the governor allows it to go forward.”
Deputy Mayor David Martin asked if Caribou was opposed to marijuana dispensaries, and suggested that potential business may be sent to Presque Isle by banning local dispensaries.
“Presque Isle voted against legalization as well (as Caribou),” said Mayor Gary Aiken, adding that the people of Caribou will have a chance to weigh in on the issue during the Nov. 28 public hearing.
Councilors Martin and Joan Theriault asked why there was a rush to pass an emergency ordinance if legalization would not take effect until mid-2017.
“We’ve already had one application for a dispensary sent in, and right now it would be easy for a medical marijuana dispensary to scratch the word ‘medical’ off their doors as soon as legalization goes through,” said Bleess.
