From Mayor Fuller’s update:
Let’s Vote on Retail Marijuana
I’ve fully supported medical marijuana establishments. They require customers to have prescriptions from a physician to purchase the product, and customers must have a state-issued medical marijuana license to enter the store.
Newton is now considering whether and where to allow adult-use “recreational” marijuana establishments.
In 2016, Newton voters supported the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legalizing adult-use marijuana establishments with 55 percent of the vote. Notably, this ballot question specifically stated that local municipalities retained the right to “adopt reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of operating marijuana businesses and to limit the number of marijuana establishments in their communities.” Having the voters of Newton decide on an outright ban or limit on the number of establishments to be allowed is appropriate, as this is an important and potentially long lasting decision.
I’m comfortable with the City Council voting to put this question on the ballot in November and having all of us together, as a community, deciding the question of whether to permit adult-use “recreational” marijuana stores here in Newton.
Sounds fair! Vote your preference…
Seems to me that voters expressed their preference, by a wide margin, in 2016. This November turnout is going to be much lower than two years ago… thus much easier for the opt-out campaign to rally its faithful and prevail at the polls. Seems unfair.
So what mayor Fuller just said is that she personally approves of medical marijuana. That the city of Newton voted less than 2 years ago support adult-use marijuana. That the Massachusetts law allows communities to restrict retail sales. So she supports a new vote that includes the option to totally restrict retail sales. Including the option for total restriction throws out the vote we took in 2016. If I’m understanding this right, mayor Fuller is proposing that we disregard the will of the people because she doesn’t agree with the outcome. To that I say bullox.
I thought we had voted.
Where does this update come from, I know Amy posted it, but is there some listserv that the Mayor uses?
Please somebody tell me I’m wrong because im fuming. What I get from her so carefully worded statement is that she doesn’t agree that we should have retail marijuana in Newton and thinks it’s okay to disrespect the will of the people. Does she think she’s king?
please tell me that our mayor isnt just one more slime ball politician with no integrity.
You aren’t wrong, your vote is being cast aside by a group of nimbys
@Dan: The update was received via email. I’m guessing it’s her newsletter.
My recollection is that I voted to make recreational mj legal. I voted to allow cites and towns to make their own rules about stores that sell recreational mj. I never to voted compel cities and towns to facilitate storefronts. If my perception of the ballot is correct, I think it is totally OK to ask Newton voters whether or not they want storefronts. Some people might support legal recreational mj, but be against storefronts in Newton. I don’t think people with such an opinion are unreasonable. I think Mayor Fuller is spot on.
I just want to be clear – I don’t care if we just have one dispensary or 20, If you go back and read my posts for the past 2 years, you’ll see I don’t give a flip about issues.
I do care about fairness, integrity, and honesty. I care that politicians, campaigns, causes and special interests don’t misrepresent or step over the rights of those of us just going about our daily lives.
Jeffrey, 2016 was awhile ago but you actually voted “A “yes” vote supported this proposal to legalize marijuana but regulate it in ways similar to alcoholic beverages.” (https://ballotpedia.org/Massachusetts_Marijuana_Legalization,_Question_4_(2016))
So unless we think that blue laws were effective and we want to close down the packies, we will not be honoring the will of the Yes voter in Newton.
She better find school money elsewhere…
@Jeffrey Pontiff
“In 2016, Newton voters supported the Commonwealth of Massachusetts legalizing adult-use marijuana establishments”
It really can’t be any clearer than that.
You say “I never to voted to compel cities and towns to facilitate storefronts.”
Facilitate storefronts? Seriously? The city isn’t being compelled to facilitate storefronts – The city is mandated to license as many as 8 businesses that have qualified and apply.
If the council can find a way to limit that further, so be it – But to REVOTE giving the option of none is dishonest.
Fuller is showing her conservative roots. I was afraid of this.
Maybe if Korff includes a recreational marijuana storefront on each block, our Mayor will support, And maybe then the young professionals who Greg promises will flock to Newton will materialize
If this passes I think Mayor Fuller’s second term is in serious jeopardy. It would certainly influence my inclination to vote for her a second time. Really disappointed.
I hope the vote at least gets attached to the midterms, which might increase turnout in comparison to a local election.
Fuller was asked specifically about recreational marijuana as a candidate. Never once did she say she opposed anything about the voter approved law…
Fuller is not only a liar, she’s a manipulator as well. One of Fuller’s first actions in office was to embrace the recommendation of a committee that had been meeting in secret to implement a marijuana moratorium in Newton. That’s the same committee that has thus far refused to turn over their minutes and notes for public perusal, and claims that they were not subject to the Open Meeting Law…
That secret committee’s notes would prove that the moratorium was pre-planned– this revote scheme was concocted by City Council members who disapprove of marijuana–and Ruthanne Fuller knew all about it in advance. The conduct of the elected officials involved in this scheme is not only a disgrace, it may very well have been illegal, and could potentially invalidate the revote effort. Time to lawyer up!!!
Can someone post the ‘exact verbatim’ wording on the 2016 ballot? curious to see if the wording was open-ended. If it was, then there is justification for the new ballot question.
apologies to the people who have the drive the whole extra 5 miles to Waltham,brighton, watertown to purchase…
Mike, “as many as 8” includes zero. The math works. The law did not say “The city is mandated to license at least one and as many as 8…”
Let me be clear where I stand. First, I voted to legalize mj. Second, Mayor Fuller is spot-on with bringing it to a vote. Third, I may or may not vote to allow mj storefronts.
Do I think alcohol should be legal in MA? Yes. Do I think Newton has the right to restrict store fronts that sell alcohol? Absolutely.
Link to the 2016 MA Ballot Questions: https://www.sec.state.ma.us/ele/elepdf/IFV_2016.pdf
Such a weak argument, Jeffrey. “As many as eight” implies at least one, and does not include zero. Do you think a YES vote was a vote for zero stores? Here’s a fact… Fuller opposed the 2016 law that legalized recreational marijuana, but failed to ever mention that to voters when she ran for Mayor in 2017. That is a lie of omission.
Based on the wording in 2016, its absolutely fair without question to bring this up for vote again. Because:
Number of people who just:
Read the title – 30%
The first paragraph – 20%
The first and second – 30%
The third – 15%
The forth – 5 or 10%
Only until the forth paragraph does it mention allowing stores.
Very reasonable to assume most people voted to decriminalize but did not realize it meant allowing stores. The mayor is spot on
@Bugek @Pontiff
You guys are just embarrassing yourselves. Allowing 0 is called a ban. The intent of that law was to give communities some control not not to ban marijuana use all together. Zero is only possible if no one applies for an application.
And the justification of a new vote based on an assumption that Newton voters are uninformed, too lazy to read four paragraphs is really insulting.
Seems this group’s plan is to manipulate the language, the city council, and the voters Define the back door for a ban.
The fact that the law allows Newton to opt out of something its voters have approved doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. What I read between the lines of Mayor Fuller’s message is that she supports opting out, and I don’t like it one bit. I would appreciate a clear statement from her regarding this matter. Not whether or not we should vote, but whether or not we should opt out.
Okay. Here’s my deal. I’ll vote to prevent recreational marijuana establishments in Newton if the ballot question also includes a vote to get rid of every single package store and every other Newton establishment that sells any form of alcohol used for anything but medicinal purposes. There are adverse health effects from both alcohol and marijuana, but I have seen absolutely nothing to convince me that alcohol is not the most serious of the two. We are having this fear driven debate because of all the lies and distortions about marijuana that bombarded us right up to just recently. During the 1960’s, it sent one young man to states prison in Virginia for 40 years because he was caught possessing a small amount of marijuana. Too much of our ingrained thinking and government policies in this country are driven by fear and misinformation from the past.
Can’t we find some way to limit the number of recreational marijuana establishments to 4 and get on with it?
The more sensitive among you (and Mike S.) will find this inflammatory. All I can say is, “Trigger warning.”
Not having an establishment in Newton is not a “ban.” As BudgeK wisely notes, you just have to get your pot somewhere else–some place you don’t want to live like the corner of Harvard and Comm Ave.
Can anyway say that having a pot shop in your neighborhood increases property values? If you operate a day care faculty, a high end restaurant, a boutique clothing store, etc., you don’t want a pot shop next store. It is bad for business. I have seen high end bars and high end wine stores. I have never seen a high end pot shop.
Do I think MA should have strip joints? Sure. Do I think Newton should have one? No. Do I want one next door to my house. Absolutely not. Does that make a NIMBY? Does that make me a snob? I don’t care what you think. Sticks and stones can break my bones…
We already have people in this city that want to run banks, nail salons, leaf blowers, and drones out of town. Why is anyone surprised that there is movement to vote on how many pot shops we want?
I’m appalled that Mayor Fuller has, before the full city council has the chance to hear from the P&S committee, deliberate and vote, issued her approval for a NEW ballot question to be put before Newton voters, who have already voted yes on having recreational marijuana. I read this statement in her newsletter yesterday and was so angry that the mayor would disregard the vote already taken in the Commonwealth and in Newton and the law, I had to wait until today to post a comment.
Mayor Fuller is abandoning the will of voters in Newton and the financial coffers as well. She ran on being fiscally responsible. I certainly didn’t expect her to become an authoritarian when I voted for her.
If we’re going to go by the wording of the ballot question instead of the law and regulations Newton was supposedly waiting on to act when it passed a moratorium, it, in its summary, does say “local municipalities retained the right to adopt reasonable restrictions on the time, place and manner of operating marijuana businesses and to limit the number of marijuana establishments in their communities.” It also says “The Cannabis Control Commission would adopt regulations“ which they did and which are being ignored.
LIMIT the number of stores is NOT a BAN. It doesn’t say in the ballot question that the number of stores could be zero.
The Cannibis Control Commission issued regulations that, after supposedly waiting for them to be finalized, she is plainly ignoring. They do not say the mayor should preempt the city council., essentially telling them how to vote. They say a limit can be put on retail stores only if the city council writes an ordinance, zoning or general bylaw, gets it approved by the mayor and gives the voters a chance to approve it. It says nothing about a ballot question. The full city council hasn’t had a chance to debate this issue.
The term “opt out” is deceiving. It’s not in the question or the regulations. It has been adopted by the group who wants to ban adult use recreational marijuana. It implies that the ballot question or the CCC regulations have given cities an easy way to go against the will of the voters. They can just choose to opt out. Instead the regulations put restrictions on how a city can change the law which our mayor has chosen to ignore.
Jeffrey, you’re being condescending. You should stop. As you well know, a ban would be a ban in Newton. The question is only going to be voted on in Newton.
Allowing a vote on banning recreational sale based on people’s inability to read 4 paragraphs, would, indeed, be a problem. However, that is not the case. From the ballot question itself, folks:
“Section 3(a): A city or town may adopt ordinances and by-laws that impose reasonable safeguards on the operation of marijuana establishments, provided they are not unreasonably impracticable and are not in conflict with this chapter or with regulations made pursuant to this chapter and that: …
(2) limit the number of marijuana establishments in the city or town, except that a city or town may only adopt an ordinance or by-law by a vote of the voters of that city or town if the ordinance or by-law:
(i) prohibits the operation of 1 or more types of marijuana establishments within the city or town…”
How much clearer can it get? You voted to allow local control; local control allows for a total ban on retail sales by a vote of the city. What are you afraid of? If everyone is for recreational pot (and it was 55-45 in 2016), then what’s the fear?
Maybe it’s that now that the big-money sponsors are gone, that the voting public will realize that you can’t treat marijuana the same way you treat alcohol because there’s not a reliable test for driving under the influence of marijuana (as there is for alcohol)? If that’s what we’re afraid of, though, then maybe we do need that vote after all.
It’s really simple guys, this is still legal in MA, eventually newton will come around, but all the first mover tax money will be taken.
Jeffery
RE: “Not having an establishment in Newton is not a “ban.”
– Correct, but not allowing an in Newton establishment IS a ban
RE: “I have never seen a high-end pot shop”
– You have yet to see ANY retail pot shop in MA – You have no idea what they will look like and who their clientele will be. I suspect the clientele will be your neighbors.
Anyone who enjoys fine wine or fine cigars or yoga or the symphony is likley to be a marajuana customer.
Marijuana shops have a huge potential to be attractive businesses, with fine foods and lots of additional products. For God’s sake, what are people afraid of? 55% of Newton’s Doctors, lawyer, engineers, college professors, fire fighters and teachers voted to make it legal. They are the ones who will keep the shops in business.
It was suggested to me this morning that I form a pro cannabis political action committee in Newton. The PAC could raise funds for another election, just in case the prohibitionists are successful in their attempt at a revote. After that election, the PAC could stay in place and target the 2019 reelection campaigns of anti cannabis City Councilors. I am confident in my ability to raise a lot of money for this cause. I need help from someone who is familiar with forming and operating a PAC. If you can help, please reach out to me by email. Thanks!
[email protected]
Reading many of these comments I get the idea that Mayor Fuller has actual power to put this question on the ballot herself. She doesn’t. She can’t decide how many retail stores should be in Newton, whether any at all should be in Newton, or where they should go if they are allowed.
It is entirely up to the City Council.
Her statement simply says that after reading the ballot question which all the proponents so confidently throw out, she would be comfortable with voters being asked to decide whether or how many retail, adult-use marijuana stores Newton should allow within its borders.
For all of those so sure of what you voted for, take another look at the key line:
“A city or town could hold a local vote to determine whether to permit the selling of marijuana and marijuana products for consumption on the premises at commercial establishments.”
I too was totally in the “we’ve already voted” camp until I reread that line. Clearly, we voted for the option of having local stores, but we also voted for the option of not having them, or lowering the number the state set as allowable.
Seems only fair we let voters decide whether we indeed want retail marijuana sold in our neighborhoods. Isn’t that all Mayor Fuller actually said?
Mike,
I have no doubts you will be able to raise lots of money for your PAC…. from big weed lobbyists and companies
Just promise to disclose
Bugek– There is no such thing as “big weed lobbyists and companies” in Massachusetts. You have a real misperception of the cannabis industry that’s reflected in many of your comments.
Many of you are angry because the “vote (voice) the people” are being ignored or circumvented. Weed won 54/45.
Despite a MUCH slimmer margin, Fuller also got the majority of votes (by the skin of her teeth).
I voted for Amy Mah Sangiolo.
Hey Matty– I also voted for Amy in the preliminary election. I declined to vote for mayor in the general election, opting instead to leave my ballot blank, because I felt neither finalist was being candid about their views on cannabis. Turns out I was spot-on about Fuller being full of it. She was given ample opportunity to express her anti-cannabis views, but chose to mislead the public through her entire campaign instead.
@ Ave Maria
“but we also voted for the option of not having them, or lowering the number the state set as allowable”
So at the very least we ought to have 3 ballot questions, opt out, all in and a compromise.
@Patricia– Competing ballot initiatives would give prohibitionists a big advantage. If Fuller and her City Council cohorts are going to insist on a revote–and if they actually get that revote on the ballot, it should be an up or down proposition to either ban cannabis shops altogether OR fully implement the 2016 law that was passed by the voters. A second ballot initiative offering some wishy-washy compromise is like handing victory to the prohibitionists…
It’s time to move forward on this issue. If that takes a revote, then let’s have at it. One ballot–two choices!