Medical Marijuana Moratorium on Canton Town Meeting Warrant

One of the articles for Canton residents to decide at this year's Town Meeting will be to see if the town will vote to amend its zoning by-laws to enact a temporary moratorium on medical marijuana treatment centers.

Article 12 on the warrant asks to put in place a three-year moratorium in order to give the town time to decide whether they want to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in Canton. It also puts a hold on any growing of medical marijuana until the moratorium is lifted.

According to the warrant, Finance Committee members voted to 5-2 to support shortening the length of the moratorium to two years instead of three.

"A temporary two-year moratorium will provide the Town with the time needed to consider the implication of the State Department of Public Health regulations concerning such centers, while affording the opportunity to conduct thorough planning studies," the warrant says.

Meanwhile, the Planning Board voted 4-0 to in favor of a substitute motion for the article that would further shorten the length of the moratorium to one year.

"The Planning Board supports the general concept of a one year moratorium, as it allows the Town to plan from a zoning perspective for the possibility of a medical marijuana dispensary in Canton," it says in the warrant.

If the original article passes at Town Meeting the moratorium would go into effect until May 1, 2016.

Town Meeting starts Monday, May 13 at the Canton High School Auditorium.

To view the full warrant click here.