Sangerville officials developing cannabis regulations

SANGERVILLE — Sangerville town officials are looking at how to regulate marijuana operations in town, gaining insight from the state’s Office of Cannabis Policy during a May 6 select board meeting at the fire station.

Previous discussions centered on a potential moratorium concerning marijuana “grow houses.” Such a measure would put a hold on any new construction while the select and planning boards develop more permanent measures. A ban could be in place for as long as 180 days and then could be extended.

“The moratorium from what I understand in our situation is not going to work. We need to go right to the ordinance because we’re already opted in automatically if I understand correctly,” Town Clerk Michelle Nichols said as the select board was on a call with Office of Cannabis Policy Director of Licensing Elia Ellis, Esq.

Maine communities need to opt in for marijuana adult use retail stores, as well as businesses performing “inherently hazardous substance extraction” or extraction labs that use flammable gases, Ellis said.

“Everything else (such as medical) is automatically allowed and you’re not allowed to prohibit it but you can regulate it like you would any other business in a town,” she said. Towns could require permits, put in zoning and establish numbers and size limits.

A grow house is located next to a church in a section of Sangerville with children around, Select Chair Jeff Peters said. 

“That’s one of the flags that got us down this path. Where do we stand?” he said.

“Right now there’s nothing you can do,” Ellis said. “You can adopt an ordinance that provides some kind of provisions like distance to schools. There are so many options you can do to limit where they can be.”

Some Maine communities require permission from abutting neighbors. Others have odor restrictions and this requires a mediation system to be in place.

“It is a hazard, if you have a volunteer fire department going into a fire and they don’t know what’s in there there’s lots of chemicals in these places so you need to know where they are,” Ellis said.

Existing businesses would be grandfathered if an ordinance is enacted. 

Towns could levy an annual license fee; established operations must comply to maintain state approval. 

“This is something in our town we are feeling is spiraling out of control and we need to figure out how to get a handle on it,” Peters said. “We are going to begin the process of navigating through this whole licensing process and we’re hoping to use you as a resource through this.”

Sangerville is not alone in this regard, Ellis said.

“You would never have an adult use facility in your town without knowing about it,” she said.

In other business, town officials discussed the establishment of drug-free and no-smoking areas, which would establish increased penalties for violations in specified portions of town such as the athletic fields at Veterans Memorial Park.

The process is quite involved, Nicholas said as she shared other towns’ examples.

The commissioner of public safety needs to provide the wording for area signs, and Nichols is working with the Maine Municipal Association on this.

The select board approved entering into a program with the Maine Forestry Department to help manage town property with timber harvesting and reseeding the land.

The forestry committee met April 24 and OKed the proposal and formal approval was needed by the select board.

“A lot of it or most of it is navigation through understanding the programs, understanding how to maximize,” Peters said.

The park committee has ordered a sign for Veterans Memorial Park at approximately $1,800, and this should be up in time for Memorial Day.

The park gazebo is being prepared, such as having mulch put down, in time for pictures on the day of the Piscataquis Community High School prom — May 16.

Bids for the summer paving project on Flanders Hill are scheduled to be opened at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, prior to the next select meeting, Peters said. The board will also outline the summer road maintenance budget and set which travelways will get attention.