WESTHAMPTON — Marijuana will be the hot topic at a special Town Meeting Monday night, as voters will consider proposals to regulate and zone medical dispensaries and whether to place a moratorium on recreational shops.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. at Westhampton Town Hall.
The proposed bylaw governing medical marijuana states that cannabis cannot be consumed on the property of a dispensary, that the facility needs to be at least 500 feet from a school or child care operator, and that dispensaries cannot be located inside a building containing residential housing.
On recreational marijuana, voters will decide whether to place a moratorium on establishments until the end of the year, or until local regulations are decided.
The town will go through a planning process to address any potential impacts of recreational marijuana, consider the state’s regulations and determine whether to restrict any licenses for such establishments, according to the warrant.
The state Cannabis Control Commission is required to issue regulations for recreational marijuana by March 15 and begin accepting applications on April 1.
Cheryl Provost, Westhampton’s administrative assistant, said many municipalities, such as Southampton, are setting moratoriums to give more time to establish local regulations.
In the November 2016 election, Westhampton voted 626-487, or 56 percent, in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana.
In other business, voters will also decide on a bylaw that would regulate cell phone towers in the town.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.