Monday, March 18, 2013
Resident's proposed sunset clause fails to get sufficient support.
Westborough voters have adopted zoning in response to Massachusetts' new medical marijuana law. Voters at Saturday's annual town meeting approved the planning board's proposed zoning bylaw amendment, 97 to 34. The measure required a two-thirds majority to pass, Town Moderator Joe Harrington told the crowd in the Westborough High School auditorium. The zoning change allows medical marijuana treatment and dispensing facilities, and marijuana cultivation, in Westborough's adult entertainment district, by special permit from the planning board. Moments earlier, an amendment offered by resident J.J. Malone to expire the zoning change on March 31, 2014 -- creating a sunset provision -- failed to get a majority approval. The vote was 46 in favor …
42.26543
-71.618709
Westborough High School
90 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/medical-marijuana-zoning-bylaw-approved
806332
/locations/9039643
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The annual town meeting is Saturday.
Adopting local medical marijuana restrictions is "premature, since the state has yet to issue regulations that will address many aspects of treatment center operation," Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance Executive Director Matt Allen said Wednesday. The Westborough Planning Board will ask voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting to approve zoning restrictions -- not a total ban -- on medical marijuana dispensaries and growing in town, Chairman Lester Hensley said today. The bylaw proposal included the restrictions as a fall-back option in case the Massachusetts attorney general's office struck down such a local ban. Wednesday, the attorney general struck down Wakefield's ban, according to the Boston Globe. The town meeting starts at 1…
The Westborough Planning Board will ask voters at Saturday's annual town meeting to support the proposed zoning change's fall-back position. The Massachusetts attorney general's office struck down Wakefield's ban Wednesday.
The Westborough Planning Board will ask voters on Saturday to approve zoning restrictions -- not a total ban -- on medical marijuana dispensaries and growing in town, Chairman Lester Hensley said today. The bylaw proposal included the restrictions as a fall-back option in case the Massachusetts attorney general's office struck down such a local ban. Wednesday, the attorney general struck down Wakefield's ban, according to the Boston Globe. Saturday's annual town meeting starts at 1 p.m. at Westborough High School. Hensley said the planning board will ask voters to approve the bylaw proposal, but striking the language regarding the ban. Medical marijuana treatment and dispensing facilities, and marijuana cultivation, would be allowed in the…
Thursday, February 21, 2013
But, the board doesn't reach a consensus on two other components of the planning board's proposal.
The Westborough Board of Health, by consensus, supports having zoning for commercial marijuana dispensaries in town. At the same time, the board on Tuesday night did not reach agreement on whether Westborough should totally ban such businesses. The board also did not agree on whether Westborough should ban or have zoning for cultivating marijuana at home for medicinal use. Voters at the March 16 annual town meeting will get the planning board’s proposed zoning bylaw that would ban marijuana dispensaries and personal cultivation. Additional language would allow these uses in a new overlay district in Westborough's adult entertainment district on Town Meeting Drive, by special permit, if the court rules the ban illegal. The school committee …
42.26787
-71.61477
Forbes Municipal Building
45 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/health-board-marijuana
2068518
/locations/8853877
Monday, February 18, 2013
The issue is on Tuesday night's agenda.
The Westborough Board of Health this week will discuss the use of marijuana for medical purposes, the latest discussion in town of this topic. The health board’s discussion is scheduled for 6:10 p.m. Tuesday in the Forbes Municipal Building. This past week, the board of selectmen and the school committee both discussed the planning board’s proposed zoning bylaw that would ban marijuana dispensaries and personal cultivation. Additional language would allow these uses in a new overlay district in Westborough's adult entertainment district, by special permit, if the court rules the ban illegal. The school committee this past week unanimously voted to support the proposal at the March 16 annual town meeting. The proposal is the Westborough …
42.26787
-71.61477
Forbes Municipal Building
45 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/health-board-to-discuss-medical-marijuana
2068518
/locations/8828606
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
No criticism was expressed during Tuesday night's planning board public hearing.
The Westborough planning board's proposed medical marijuana zoning bylaw drew only praise during a public hearing Tuesday night. No concerns were raised with the plan, which voters will decide at the March 16 annual town meeting, at the Forbes Municipal Building. The board's eight-page proposal would ban marijuana dispensaries and personal cultivation. Additional language would allow these uses in a new overlay district in Westborough's adult entertainment district, by special permit, if the court rules the ban illegal. "From a precautionary perspective, it's a responsible place for Westborough to start," Chairman Lester Hensley said. The proposal is the Westborough officials' response to Massachusetts' new medical marijuana law, which …
42.26787
-71.61477
Forbes Municipal Building
45 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/medical-marijuana
2068518
/locations/8753707
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
The restriction would take effect if the ban is ruled invalid.
Medical marijuana treatment and dispensing facilities, and marijuana cultivation, would be banned from Westborough under part of a planning board zoning amendment. If the ban is ruled invalid, the proposed bylaw includes language restricting the activities to medical marijuana overlay district(s), created by town meeting, and allowed by special permit from the planning board, according to the draft amendment. An amended use regulation schedule in the proposal shows the activities allowed only in the AE district, after the town meeting vote establishing the overlay. The planning board's public hearing on the proposal is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 in Forbes Municipal Building Room 23. Voters will get the request at the March 16 annual town…
42.26787
-71.61477
Forbes Municipal Building
45 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/medical-marijuana-zoning-includes-ban-limit
2068518
/locations/8751259
Friday, January 18, 2013
The planning board will hear public comment on Feb. 5.
Proposed zoning regarding Massachusetts' new medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation law will reach Westborough voters in three weeks. The planning board's public hearing on its zoning bylaw proposal is at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5 in Forbes Municipal Building Room 23. The board posted the public hearing notice on Westborough's website Thursday. The proposed bylaw is expected to be on Westborough's March 16 annual town meeting warrant. A copy of the proposal is available at the planning office at the Forbes building, the hearing notice notes. Voters approved the new law at the Nov. 6 statewide election. Westborough residents supported the measure, Question 3 on the ballot, 5,367 to 3,347. The law allows the state Department of …
42.26787
-71.61477
Forbes Municipal Building
45 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/medical-marijuana-bylaw-hearing-set
2068518
/locations/8622991
Thursday, December 20, 2012
School committee and selectmen asking legislators for a delay of six months to a year.
Two Westborough boards are asking the state Legislature to delay implementing Massachusetts’ new medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation law for six months to a year. The school committee voted Wednesday night to endorse a letter that selectmen plan to send to Westborough’s legislators. The delay would allow the state Department of Public Health, as well as municipalities, time to prepare to handle the law, which takes effect Jan. 1, school board member Jody Hensley said. Hensley said she received an e-mail this week from “Healthy Outcomes, which is a teen substance abuse prevention educator” suggesting that “schools need to take notice on policy, and she’s doing education on the effects on teens.” The Massachusetts Municipal …
Monday, December 17, 2012
Selectmen will discuss this tonight.
A potential delay in the state implementing the new medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation law is on tonight's Westborough selectmen agenda. The board meets at 6 p.m. at Westborough Town Hall. Voters approved the new law at the Nov. 6 statewide election. Westborough residents supported the measure, Question 3 on the ballot, 5,367 to 3,347. The law allows the state Department of Public Health to authorize “no more than 35 treatment centers” in 2013, according to the ballot question. The Massachusetts Municipal Association recently sent a letter to House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Therese Murray and Gov. Deval Patrick “recommending a delay of implementation of a minimum of six months, up to a year to allow DPH adequate …
42.2686
-71.61402
Westborough Town Hall
34 W Main St, Westborough, MA
/articles/medical-marijuana-law-delay-possible
1909842
/locations/8397371
JSnr
8:30 am on Monday, March 18, 2013
Speaking of pushing, look at what is happening in Colorado: ..."Spike in children using marijuana" http://denver.cbslocal.com/2013/03/06/drug-testing-company-sees-spike-in-children-using-marijuana/ 74% of children in a Denver youth substance abuse treatment program report getting their pot from a "medical" marijuana cardholder an average of 50 times. (-- Journal of Child Psychiatry, June 2012, … more ›