EASTHAMPTON — Now that state recreational cannabis regulations are in place, Easthampton is working to finalize its own.
The City Council is set to deliberate and vote on regulations Wednesday, at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Building, 50 Payson Ave.
At a meeting last Wednesday, the council heard from the city planner with changes to the city’s proposed regulations, as well as residents, school officials and stakeholders about their concerns.
City Planner Jeff Bagg said he added to the regulations to prohibit so-called cannabis membership clubs to make sure they aren’t established before safeguards are put in place. Bagg referenced to a situation in Worcester where a recently-opened establishment allows cannabis consumption on the premises using a loophole in the law.
When it comes to how far away cannabis establishments should be from schools, there are split opinions. The proposed regulations say cannabis establishments must be at least 350 feet from a school. Some call for more distance, some call for less.
Superintendent Nancy Follansbee, Williston Northampton School’s chief financial officer Charles McCullagh and the School Committee have been pushing for a 500-foot buffer zone from the schools, which is the standard set by the state.
The School Committee wrote a letter to the City Council, requesting a 500-foot buffer around schools. While they acknowledge adults may safely manage their cannabis consumption, the committee cited research that shows cannabis used by the youth impairs brain development.
“To our concern, there is a false perception among some teenagers that marijuana is without risk,” the School Committee wrote. “Our hope is that intentional zoning regulations can avoid reinforcing that perception or increasing marijuana’s allure among young people.”
In the downtown business district, which has Center, Pepin and Maple elementary schools close by, much of the district would be off limits with a 500-foot buffer.
With that buffer, no cannabis establishments would be allowed on Cottage Street from the intersection with Pine Street to the intersection where Cottage Street ends on Maple Elementary School. On Union Street, nearly no cannabis establishments would be allowed.
Some argue that bars, package stores, convenience stores selling tobacco and alcohol, and smoke shops are all allowed in close proximity to the schools, facing at most a 200-foot buffer. Some say there should be no buffer at all.
Cannabis retailers are required to remain at least 200 feet from each other, except in the mill district, the proposed regulations state.
Stephen Reilly, the general counsel for the medical marijuana dispensary INSA Inc. at the Keystone mill building, asked the City Council to consider a buffer for cultivating facilities to eliminate risks of cross contamination.
Northampton attorney Dick Evans, who the Boston Globe dubbed “Mr. Marijuana” and who chaired the Question 4 Campaign Committee, voiced concerns about the application process, stating that it should occur parallel with the state application with the Cannabis Control Commission. The proposed regulations state the applicant must first have a license from the commission.
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.