BOLTON — The Board of Selectmen will hold a public hearing on Tuesday to consider a proposed ordinance that would ban cannabis possession and consumption on town property.
“The town of Bolton has a long history of safety of all of its citizens who want or desire to use town parks … and with the change in law in Connecticut, making marijuana possession legal, it meant the change or revisiting the ordinance for possession or consumption on town property,” First Selectman Pamela Sawyer said. “Now the decision was made to come forward and continue that history of prohibition on town properties.”
The Marijuana and Alcohol Ordinance also prohibits drinking or possessing alcohol and carrying glass bottles of any kind on town beaches. Residents who violate the proposed ordinances face a $100 penalty.
Board members had discussed a cannabis ordinance at its Sept. 7 regular meeting and unanimously voted to proceed with holding a public hearing.
Since recreational pot use became legal for people age 21 or older in the state on July 1 numerous north-central Connecticut towns have considered zoning regulations regarding its sale and cultivation, including Manchester, which recently approved regulations.
Bolton’s Planning and Zoning Commission hasn’t yet considered any regulations regarding cannabis sales or cultivation. Director of Community Development Patrice Carson said at a previous PZC meeting that cannabis shops would likely be treated like a liquor store, according to meeting minutes.
Selectmen said the proposed ordinance, which they crafted prior to November’s municipal election, is modeled on existing ordinances regarding alcohol and tobacco use on town property.
“If you’re going to not allow smoking of cigarettes, how can you allow smoking of another substance, which is marijuana,” Republican Selectman Robert Morra said.
Morra said that board members tried to strike a balance between what the state allows and what the town desires for its citizens.
“Nobody is trying to be an old Scrooge,” Morra said. “You have to be realistic.”
Democratic Selectman Adam Teller said he is unsure about the part of the proposed ordinance that prohibits cannabis possession. Connecticut’s cannabis bill prohibits penalties against the lawful possession of medical cannabis, and this ordinance probably conflicts with that, Teller said.
Teller, who was not on the Board of Selectmen when the ordinance was crafted, said he would keep an open mind when listening to residents during Tuesday’s public hearing.
Bolton resident Letrisa Miller said cannabis consumption should be treated similarly to drinking alcohol on town property. Miller added that she’s noticed a problem with people drinking alcohol, not consuming cannabis, on town property.
“Alcohol is just as much of an issue as any other mind-altering substance, so both should be treated the same,” Miller said.