Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Cannabis may be legal in Massachusetts, but many cities and towns are taking steps to prevent cannabis entrepreneurs from opening up shops in their neighborhoods. Although recreational cannabis was legalized throughout the state by a ballot measure in 2016, a recent legislative re-write of the law allows individual municipalities to prohibit canna-businesses within their jurisdictions.
Even though the majority of Massachusetts residents voted in favor of cannabis legalization, individual municipalities’ referendums to prohibit canna-businesses have also been winning majority votes. In September, the Massachusetts Municipal Association reported that over 100 cannabis prohibition measures had been proposed by local governments, and over 90 of these had been approved. Later that month, a small majority of voters in Milford voted to ban cannabis establishments in order to preserve the family-friendly reputation of their city.
The residents of Amesbury just bucked this trend, voting against the prohibition of retail cannabis in their city at this week’s election. This almost 2-to-1 victory is due in part to the efforts of one couple and their grassroots campaign to support…
