Marijuana Overlay District (MOD) - Approved
In November 2016, Massachusetts approved Ballot Question #4 to allow for the sale and use of non-medical (adult use) marijuana in the Commonwealth. On July 28, 2017, the law was amended when the Governor signed the General Court’s revised language (Chapter 55 of the Acts of 2017).
The sale of both adult-use and medical marijuana is allowed in Massachusetts. In response to the Town Meeting vote on March 26, 2018, that rejected both a zoning ban and a general bylaw ban for the sale of recreational marijuana in the town, the Board of Selectmen formed a working group to move recommendations forward to the fall Town Meeting. The cannabis working group presented recommendations to the Board of Selectmen. At the October 1, 2018 Town Meeting, a general bylaw was approved to prohibit adult-use recreation establishments and a zoning bylaw to allow adult-use and medical marijuana did not meet the required 2/3rds majority vote. Subsequently on May 1, 2023, a petitioned article to repeal general bylaw ban was rejected and the zoning bylaw was indefinitely postponed.
Throughout the summer, the Planning Board drafted a Marijuana Overlay District (MOD) and held several public hearings. On August 24, 2023, the Planning Board voted to endorse the proposed Marijuana Overlay District and Marijuana Overlay District Maps titled North Sagamore MOD dated 7/13/23 (Sheet A1); South Sagamore MOD dated 8/11/23 (Sheet B1); Downtown MOD dated 7/13/23 (Sheet C1); and MacArthur Boulevard MOD (Sheet D1-D10).
On November 6, 2023, Town Meeting voters' approved the Marijuana Overlay district (MOD) Zoning Bylaw and repealed the General Bylaw marijuana prohibition.
For more information on marijuana application procedures, visit the Select Board page at: https://www.townofbourne.com/select-board/news/111423-select-board-vote-on-marijuana-establishments.
Proposed Marijuana Overlay District (MOD), Maps, Public Comments, and Other Related Links
