WINDSOR TO PUT MEDICAL MARIJUANA QUESTION ON NOVEMBER
BALLOT

Windsor residents will decide in November whether to ban all
commercial medical marijuana facilities in the town limits.

The Windsor Town Board decided Monday to send the question to the
ballot after residents presented an ordinance to ban it and a petition
with more than 900 signatures of support.

The board could either approve the citizen-initiated ordinance, or
send it to the voters. It was sent to the ballot on a 4-3 vote.

Board members Mike Carrigan and Kristie Melendez and Mayor John
Vazquez voted to approve the legislation as written.

Board members Robert Bishop-Cotner, Matthew O'Neill, Don Thompson and
Jon Slater voted to send the question to the ballot.

The petition was co-sponsored by former Town Board members Nancy Weber
and Michael Kelly. The group needed to gather at least 611 valid
signatures of registered voters.

They turned in 915 signatures. Melendez said that was a clear
indicator that residents want marijuana banned.

She also said she did not think the town should accept tax money from
the sale of a substance illegal under federal law.

The ballot question will ask if the town should adopt an ordinance to
prohibit the operation of a dispensary, grow facility or
marijuana-infused product manufacturing facility in the town limits.

If the voters say yes, private medical marijuana use and possession
would not be directly affected. But all commercial medical marijuana
operations would have to shut down within 180 days.

On April 6, the town voted 3,514 to 905 to limit the town to two
licensed medical marijuana dispensaries. The board recently passed a
new ordinance to make that official as of Sept. 1.