Residents of the town of Starks passed its proposed moratorium ordinance titled “Regarding Medical Marijuana Retail Stores, Dispensaries, Testing Facilities, and Manufacturing Facilities.” The vote was 150 in favor and 133 against.

The Starks Board of Selectmen voted to propose the ordinance to voters at their regular selectmen’s meeting on Sept. 17, according to the town’s website.

Starks passed its moratorium on the development of medical marijuana retail store, dispensaries, and testing and manufacturing facilities. Portland Press Herald file photo by John Patriquin

The vote was taken on the advice of the Maine Municipal Association and the Starks Planning Board in order to give the town adequate time to consider allowing and regulating medical marijuana retail stores, registered dispensaries, testing facilities, and manufacturing facilities.

The ordinance would not limit lawful, personal use of marijuana for recreational use or personal use of medical marijuana by registered patients, or registered medical marijuana caregivers as defined and regulated in state law. It would apply only to medical marijuana retail stores and facilities as defined in state statute.

State laws require towns to adopt ordinances to allow both adult recreational use and medical marijuana establishments, according to the Starks website.

“A loop-hole in the medical marijuana legislation makes it uncertain what is allowed between now and the law’s effective date several months from now, which is why this moratorium is being proposed,” according to the website. “The moratorium is a temporary ban on these uses until the town makes a decision how to proceed. With these laws and rules being so new, there is a lot of confusion at the state and local level on how to implement them.”

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow

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