The meeting will be held in a “drive-in” set up at Monument Mountain Regional High School on Tuesday, September 15th starting at 6 p.m.
You must vote in person. There are no absentee ballots.
What Do The Articles Say?
Concerned about too many dispensaries?
Article 25, RECOMMENDED by the Planning Board, adds an amendment to the current Marijuana Establishments zoning bylaw that will limit the total number of dispensaries to 7. This is the same number as the number of full-service package stores in Great Barrington. This seems a reasonable approach that benefits the Town while having some limitations in place. We recommend voting yes.
Concerned about grow facilities?
Article 27, RECOMMENDED by the Planning Board, allows the Select Board to permit cannabis manufacturing (but not growing facilities) in the downtown I-2 zone. It requires a special permit process with the Select Board to be the granting authority. CSCR recommends voting yes.
Concerned about Downtown Great Barrington?
Article 28, NOT RECOMMENDED by the Planning Board, makes downtown Great Barrington completely unavailable for future retail cannabis establishments or the growth of existing establishments. Since Article 25 already limits the number of establishments, the CSCR thinks that Article 29 is too extreme and will hurt downtown business by driving retail business to other parts of town. The Coalition for Sensible Cannabis Regulation in Great Barrington recommends voting NO on Article 29.
Impact on Downtown Great Barrington
Article 28 would freeze cannabis retail in the entire downtown. (Map approximate based on MuniMAPPER.)
A citizens’ petition, Article 28 on the Special Town Meeting warrant, proposes an amendment that will reverse zoning bylaws regulating recreational cannabis establishments, ordinances that have been in place since 2018, when passed by a more than 2/3 vote in favor at the annual town meeting.
Article 28 proposes an amendment to the current zoning bylaw to include a 500-foot setback for dispensaries from a pre-existing public or private school, providing education in kindergarten or any of grades 1-12, childcare facilities including preschools and daycare centers, or any facility in which children currently congregate, including but not limited to a public library, playground, park, athletic field or recreational facility, a place of worship or a town-owned beach. The current zoning limit for dispensaries is 200 feet from existing K-12 schools.
The proposed setback of 500 feet changes the zoning in an extreme way that would freeze cannabis dispensaries in the downtown area. This will eliminate future projects in downtown and much of the Route 7 corridor and may even affect currently permitted dispensaries. The Coalition for Sensible Cannabis Regulation in Great Barrington (CSCRGB) believes that Article 28 is poorly conceived and will effectively limit existing business and thwart any further cannabis enterprises in the downtown business corridor.
Article 28 is not recommended by the town’s Planning Board or by the Coalition for Sensible Cannabis Regulation in Great Barrington. The Coalition recommends voting no on Article 28.
Benefits of Sensible Cannabis Regulation for Great Barrington
Benefits For Great Barrington:
- Income for the town of Great Barrington from one year of dispensary business from its sole existing dispensary was $2.7 million in tax revenues.
- Of that revenue, $185,000 will be available for disbursal in the coming year.
- Half of the funds will be used for mitigation (education, treatment, police and social service training and/or programs).
- Half of the funds can be used as citizens see fit, such as purchasing the Housatonic Water Company, decreasing property taxes, bridge repair, infrastructure, education, or school upgrades.
- In addition to providing much-needed tax revenues for the town, cannabis dispensaries create good-paying jobs, expand the tax base and grow our local economy. They are an important economic driver that will complement and drive business as well as increase foot traffic downtown year-round.
- Research shows that cannabis dispensaries improve public safety, health and property values. Cannabis stores have stricter regulations than liquor stores or drug stores that sell opioids. They make for good neighbors too.
- With unreasonable zoning restrictions, the unregulated black market becomes more lucrative and appealing.
- Massachusetts imposes a 17% tax (a 6.25% sales tax plus a 10.75% excise tax) on cannabis businesses, while cities and towns take another 3%, plus a community-impact fee and a mandatory donation to non-profits of their choice.
Benefits for Downtown:
- Retailers in downtown Great Barrington are facing hardships due to the impact of COVID-19.
- Cannabis dispensaries will increase foot traffic and bring more business to local merchants.
- Legalized cannabis sales in small towns are proven to create jobs and draw visitors.
- Theory Wellness, just one cannabis retailer, employs 200 people full time. Cannabis retailers in downtown would hire staff, who will buy in Downtown and eat in Downtown.
- Great Barrington business owners report increased offseason sales since Theory Wellness opened last winter.
- Foot traffic matters. A recent economic impact study shows that visitors to Great Barrington who attend a show at the Mahaiwe spend an average of $100 on food and $50 in retail stores. Cannabis visitors are projected to spend similarly if not more.
- California and Colorado towns report decreased crime rates in towns where cannabis is legal.
Media Kit with Social Media Graphics
Coalition for Sensible Cannabis Regulation in Great Barrington
Charter Members
Paul Aronofsky, 82 Railroad
Andrew Blechman, Author
Ronald Blumenthal, East Street, Great Barrington
Tony Blair, Attorney
Mark Firth, Prairie Whale
Diego Gutierrez, Housatonic Architectural Services, LLC
Suzanne Maltz, 82 Railroad
Robert Navarino, The Chef’s Shop
Steven Silverstein, 82 Railroad