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February 10, 2020

Natick to seek pot license applicants starting Wednesday

Photo | Courtesy of Town of Natick Natick Town Hall

More than one year after Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey rejected Natick’s moratorium on marijuana businesses, the town is expected to post a Request For Information to potential marijuana license applicants on the town's website on Wednesday, according to the James Freas, director of Community & Economic Development.

While Natick has insisted it needs more planning time to consider the new industry coming to town, Healey’s ruling at the close of 2018 said Natick, Plympton, and Rochester were not engaged in legitimate, ongoing planning processes that justified their requests for more time.

At the time, Healy said state law requires any temporary moratoriums must be limited to an ongoing planning need.

The matter of licensing was on the Board of Selectmen's Monday night's agenda,nut the matter was tabled, Freas said. 

Natick Town Administrator Melissa Malone denied the town has been dragging its feet.

More than 100 marijuana licenses have been distributed statewide since pot has been legalized.

"We have been working very diligently, I don't think there's been a holdup," Malone said. "Our perception is that we've been working to ensure that we have something that is responsive to state law and responsive to the communities I think that's what's we have. This is a new industry and communities are working their way through it, and Natick has done a good job." 

In 2016, more than 54% of Natick residents voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana in Massachusetts.

Two years later, Town Meeting voted to create zoning necessary to permit pot shops and authorize the Board of Selectmen to issue licenses for two marijuana establishments.

More than four dozen companies have expressed an interest in opening a pot shop in Natick.

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7 Comments

Anonymous
February 11, 2020
Remember in the 1970s, they were saying smoking is safe. It's been a big fight to convince the society. Now it's pot. Any smoking is bad. I'm happy we don't have pot shops so far.
Anonymous
February 11, 2020
A dispensary in Natick would be a good idea especially if it helps with the opioid epidemic that seems to plague this town as well as many others. To the person below there is nothing wrong with the people who purchase the marijuana and want to hang out on the common, although you're making it sound like they are going to be immature and smoke it around children and that sounds like something out of a 80's video that says weed is bad and will kill you. The people who will be purchasing from this dispensary (if it even happens) will most likely go home and enjoy it on their own time, not hanging around downtown.
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