Town Meeting isn’t high on marijuana, defeats request to add third license

Grafton needs business, agreed the speakers who came up to the mic during Town Meeting Saturday.

But not this business, they stressed. Not marijuana.

They spoke direly of children becoming addicted, of marijuana as a gateway drug. They pointed out that the town has yet to actually open a recreational marijuana facility, despite signing host agreements with four companies. They suggested that the town should stick with the two already-existing licenses and see what happens before opening up the town to a third potential store.

Former Selectman Bruce Spinney stepped down from the board last year to pursue a host agreement with the town for his company, Noble Manna, Inc. By all appearances, his company will likely come in third behind MJ’s Market and Resinate, which are already in the pipeline for state approval. He filed a citizens petition asking for an expansion of marijuana licenses, an idea which the Select Board passed upon a few months back.

Spinney pointed to smaller towns — like Mendon, where he is also looking to open a marijuana retailer — which allow three licenses. He spoke of the 30 jobs he hopes to create and the local craftsmen he would hire to renovate his Worcester Street building.

As Spinney spoke, several people shouted for a point of order, much to the annoyance of Town Moderator Ray Mead.

“If you want to shout out stuff, you’re in the wrong place,” he told one person. As the shouting continued, he added, “Holy crap! Do you think this is a Select Board meeting?”

Comments:

• Teri Turgeon, “I don’t care if you smoke marijuana… but I don’t want it sold in my town.”
• Bill Yeomans, “I don’t like the inference that Mr. Spinney is dangling candy in front of us. Revenue candy.”
• A man suggesting the town’s only option is not marijuana, “The last thing we want to do is make it easier” for kids to get pot.

The article failed, with much of the meeting attendees leaving immediately after, skipping the final two aticles.

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