The town of Bremen became the first in Lincoln County to adopt a temporary ban on marijuana-related businesses in a special town meeting the evening of Thursday, Jan. 5.
The vote followed the passage of Question 1, to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and up, on Election Day 2016.
After a public hearing and the airing of opinions from both sides of the discussion, a majority of voters in attendance approved a 180-day moratorium on retail marijuana establishments and retail marijuana social clubs.
During the public hearing, Selectman Wendy Pieh described the six-month ban on marijuana-related businesses as a way to give the town time to address the implications of Question 1 as the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry works to establish its own regulations on marijuana.
“If we vote this in, we have a 180-day moratorium to decide what to do with it. This moratorium is to protect us from what-ifs,” Pieh said.
Harold Schramm, a resident and member of the Bremen Budget Committee, voiced support for a moratorium, but said enacting the moratorium now is too soon, as the state still needs to establish rules and regulations.
“We should enact a moratorium when the state finishes its own process. 180 days puts us in the middle of that process,” Schramm said.
He said it was too early to tell what the local impact of the question would be.
“We want to know what we are dealing with, and until there is a legislative mandate, we don’t,” Schramm said.
Selectman Hank Nevins said the town could extend the moratorium if it needs more time.
Pieh said after six months, in addition to extending the moratorium, the town could do nothing and fall under the state regulations once they are complete.
She said that by imposing a moratorium, the town could avoid potential questions of grandfathering that could rise if the state passes regulations before Bremen has an ordinance of its own in place.
Bayard Littlefield voiced opposition to a moratorium and said not all municipalities are enacting moratoriums.
Additionally, Littlefield questioned the potential issue of grandfathered uses, saying that without state regulations in place, there are currently no permitted retail uses.
Littlefield said that in other areas of the nation where recreational marijuana has been legalized, the industry has become an area of economic opportunity.
“It’s actually proving to be economically viable, not shady or sketchy but really creating economic viability,” Littlefield said.
Pieh said the moratorium would give the town an opportunity to gather input from residents, suggesting an ad hoc committee as an option moving forward.
“We can put people together who are interested in the issue, to look at it and follow what’s happening at the state level, so we can make an informed decision as a community,” Pieh said.
During the general election, voters in Bremen voted narrowly in opposition to Question 1, 258-250.
Robert Faunce, of the Lincoln County Regional Planning Commission, attended the meeting. Faunce said the commission would host a workshop Wednesday, Jan. 25 entitled “Weeding Through Marijuana Legislation: What It Means for Our Towns.”
