Adams License Board Reviews Cannabis Rules After Uptick in Interest
ADAMS, Mass. — In significant interest from several potential business developers has prompted the Board of Selectmen, acting as the local licensing authority subcommittee, to review the town's host community agreement and marijuana zoning bylaws.
Selectwoman Christine Hoyt said now is the right time to review the town's cannabis regulations. Several potential cannabis businesses have presented before the select board in recent months.
Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin said the town's agreement, as it is currently, is not dissimilar from other communities. He noted, however, that the process is somewhat flexible compared to some.
"Right now, our process is pretty informal," he said at Wednesday's meeting. "We basically give this template to any business that asks for it. And if they're OK with the terms, we ask that they meet with the select board and discuss their business plans in general. And then, really, it's at the discretion of the town to sign or not."
One significant change Coughlin posed to the board is with the language regarding the required donation for education and prevention programs. The change adds mental health to the list of potential programs, at the request of Selectman Howard Rosenberg.
"Howard had asked for expanding that to look also at mental health treatment or mental health education and sort of getting to the root cause of people's struggle with drugs and things of that nature," he said.
On the bylaws, Coughlin said one developer expressed interest in cannabis delivery. The state Cannabis Control Commission allows delivery, and Coughlin said it would make sense to explore and potentially change this aspect of the bylaws.
"As the bylaw is written now, we allow delivery. But it's essentially lumped in with retail, so our retail definition of retail marijuana makes no distinction between a retail storefront and delivering marijuana to the end consumer," he said.
Town Administrator Jay Green posed the question to the board of how Adams would regulate a cannabis delivery business. He asked the board if the town should treat such a business differently from the delivery of other items.
"We don't regulate the alcohol drivers. We don't regulate drugstore delivery. We don't regulate any of that," he said. "So we shouldn't regulate the marijuana business. However, from the land-use control, do we want to be specific in terms of 'yes, this is allowed.'"
The host community agreement stipulates any potential cannabis business presents before the Board of Selectmen. Green said no one so far has had an issue with this, noting that Adams' rules treat them the same as other businesses in town for the most part.
"They introduce themselves and their business to the community," he said. "What's their business plan, what's their business model, what do they like about Adams," he said. "It gives the board the opportunity to ask those questions, and frankly, it gives us an opportunity to kind of vet them a little bit and see how they present, how strong they are in their business plan."
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