Update (10/18/17)
The TAB story covering the debate has been updated to read:Auchincloss, said that pot shops aren’t in his vision for the city but the city would first have to take steps to ban it. That would include a ballot initiative, which he would support.”

It no longer includes: “Houston said he would be in favor of a petition that would ban the sale of marijuana in Newton.”

What a difference a couple of years makes.

Remember two years ago when the Ward 2 At Large Contest between Susan Albright, Marcia Johnson, Jake Auchincloss, Lynne LeBlanc and (in the preliminary) Jess Barton captured the city’s focus and was viewed largely as a referendum on Austin Street, in specific, and development in general?

Two years later, there’s another competitive contest in Ward 2 At Large. Albright and Auchincloss are defending their seats against challenger Braden Houston. This year Houston has assumed the role as the anti-development candidate.  (Except, at a debate yesterday, Houston suggested giving tax breaks to developers proposing senior housing, according to the TAB’s Laura Lovett., something at least Auchincloss was quoted as opposing.) And Houston opposes the proposed charter.

More surprising to me was Houston’s call yesterday to ban the recreational marijuana shops from opening in Newton.

“I’m not an advocate of recreational use of marijuana. It’s illegal at the federal level,” said Houston. “I think for a lot of parents it’s one more thing a parent has to deal with.”

 

Houston said he would be in favor of a petition that would ban the sale of marijuana in Newton.

 

Albright pointed out that since Newton voted in favor of the marijuana ballot question last year it would need to pass a referendum to ban sales in the city.

 

Auchincloss, said that pot shops aren’t in his vision for the city but the city would first have to take steps to ban it.