Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Attorney General found Wakefield bylaw incompatible with voters' legalizing medical marijuana in Massachusetts. Town will appeal decision and will also seek a moratorium for now.
The town will appeal a decision by Attorney General Martha Coakley overturning its bylaw aimed at zoning medical marijuana facilities out of Wakefield. Meeting in an executive session at the start of Monday night's meeting, members of the Wakefield board of selectmen voted in favor of having Town Counsel Tom Mullen file the appeal. Voters who attended the November Wakefield town meeting approved the zoning change against medical marijuana dispensaries by a 143-9 margin. On Election Night 2012, voters approved Question 3, the measure legalizing medical marijuana in Massachusetts, by a 54.3 – 45.6 margin. Earlier this month, Coakley announced that the Wakefield bylaw was incompatible with state law because it basically aims to overturn a …
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Attorney General Martha Coakley determines that Wakefield's medical marijuana zoning bylaw from the November town meeting is incompatible with the voter-approved state law.
State Attorney General Martha Coakley's office has determined that a zoning ban on medical marijuana dispensaries approved at last November’s Wakefield town meeting conflicts with state law. Voters who attended the November Wakefield town meeting approved the zoning change against medical marijuana dispensaries by a 143-9 margin. Earlier in November, voters in the general election approved Question 3, the measure legalizing medical marijuana in Massachusetts, by a 54.3 – 45.6 margin. “The AG ruled that the outright ban conflicted with the statute passed by ballot petition in 2012 that ensures reasonable access to marijuana treatment centers,” said the announcement. “That law’s purpose cannot be served if a municipality were to prohibit …
Friday, November 16, 2012
Voters approved measure at town meeting Thursday night by a 143-9 margin.
Town meeting voters approved a zoning by-law Thursday night aimed at ensuring that a medical marijuana dispensary will not be able to set up shop in Wakefield. The by-law passed with a 143-9 vote following a presentation by Police Chief Richard Smith, who laid out a number of different concerns about the way Question 3 - the ballot initiative approved by voters on November 6th allowing medical marijuana in Massachusetts - will be implemented and what some of its unintended effects could be. "Although I have deep compassion for those that are ill and infirm, I also feel that allowing a compassion center is not a fit for the town of Wakefield," said the Chief, who noted that the law will allow up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries to open …
Town meeting voters approved change in zoning laws to prevent medical marijuana dispensaries from opening in Wakefield. Where do you stand on the issue?
By a 143-9 margin on Thursday night, town meeting voters approved a proposed zoning by-law that would bar medical marijuana dispensaries from being able to open in Wakefield. The bylaw was drafted this fall in part because of the anticipation that Massachusetts voters would approve Question 3 on Election Night, and also in response to a since-withdrawn proposal that could have led to the establishment of one specific dispensary in Wakefield. Two weeks ago, Wakefield voters approved Question 3, to allow medical marijuana in the state, by a 54.3 to 45.7% margin. So, in this space what I ask you, Wakefield residents - how would you have voted on the medical marijuana zoning by-law at town meeting? Feel free to vote in the poll below or even …
Friday, November 9, 2012
The medical marijuana ballot initiative passed on Tuesday, which means up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open in 2013. Would you be OK with having one in town?
Medical marijuana is coming to Massachusetts. The question is: where? The medical marijana ballot initiative that passed in Tuesdays election with 63 percent voter approval means that up to 35 medical marijuana dispensaries can open up in the state in 2013. The new law goes into effect January 1, but requires rules and regulations be set up by the Department of Public Health. Some towns and cities, such as Quincy, reportedly are already trying to line up regulations that would keep dispensaries out of their municipalities, which have proved troublesome in some of the nine states where medical marijuana dispensaries have been legal. What do you think? Is this a classic case of NIMBY (fine, but Not In My Back Yard)? Or do medical marijuana…
Friday, September 28, 2012
The governor, during a live chat with Patch, expressed skepticism about the legalization of medical marijuana, though he sympathized with patients in pain.
Governor Deval Patrick said he would likely vote no on Question Three this fall. During a Thursday live chat with Patch, a reader asked Patrick how he would vote on the ballot question and whether the governor was for or against the legalization of cannabis. "I am not too energized on this issue, personally. California's experience has been mixed. I will probably vote against it. I respect the opposing view, though, especially those whose concern is for people in constant pain," wrote the governor. Proponents say medical marijuana will help ease the pain and suffering of cancer patients and other eligible residents. Opponents, meanwhile, say the law is a back door to full legalization, and that medical marijuana can be dangerous. If …
Friday, September 14, 2012
Medical marijuana activist had been seeking to open dispensary in Wakefield if a statewide initiative passes in November.
A warrant article that could have led to the establishment of a medical marijuana dispensary in Wakefield is no longer expected to be on the Nov. 15th town meeting ballot. Earlier this week, Wakefield Health Director Ruth Clay spoke at the Wakefield Rotary meeting about that initiative and one advanced by her and other town officials, which would re-draw zoning laws to effectively ban medical marijuana dispensaries in town. According to a blog report on the Boston Magazine website, the effort to ban medical marijuana dispensaries in Wakefield will remain on the town ballot. The report noted that the organizer of the effort to establish a dispensary in Wakefield, Carl Swanson, withdrew his initiative because he did not want to be confused …
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Competing warrant articles at Wakefield's fall town meeting would permit medical marijuana dispensaries in town, or try to rezone them out.
On Election Day this year, Massachusetts voters will consider a ballot proposal that would allow medical marijuana sales in the state. While it remains to be seen if the measure will actually pass, some implications are already being weighed at the local level. Wakefield Board of Health Director Ruth Clay was a guest speaker Tuesday at the Wakefield Rotary Club meeting to discuss a warrant article on this fall's town meeting ballot seeking to allow an organization to run a medical marijuana dispensary in town. Clay said that the state ballot initiative would allow five such operations in each Massachusetts county and that Wakefield came up as a potential location in good part because of its open town meeting law. Clay noted that Reading …
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Massachusetts residents will be choosing "yes" or "no" on three ballot questions this November.
The secretary of state's office last week finalized the questions that will be put on this fall's ballot. Though four questions had gathered enough signatures and met the deadlines to be placed on the ballot, one regarding teacher evaluation was resolved in the Legislature last month, leaving three for Secretary of State William Galvin to sign. They are:
Dave Gray
10:42 pm on Tuesday, March 26, 2013
JSnr, the horse is out of the barn. Time for you to get over it. 70% is not unaccounted for - it was all properly dispensed by prescription to patients entitled to buy it. 70% could not be tracked because the system designed to track it didn't work. File that under lessons to be learned. more ›