{"id":4064,"date":"2022-02-04T10:45:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-04T10:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vY3RleGFtaW5lci5jb20vMjAyMi8wMi8wNC90b3duLXJlc2lkZW50cy1nYXRoZXItdG8tYWlyLXZpZXdzLW9uLW1hcmlqdWFuYS1wcm9oaWJpdGlvbi1pbi1lYXN0LWhhZGRhbS_SAQA"},"modified":"2022-02-04T10:45:00","modified_gmt":"2022-02-04T10:45:00","slug":"town-residents-gather-to-air-views-on-marijuana-prohibition-in-east-haddam-ct-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4064","title":{"rendered":"Town Residents Gather to Air Views on Marijuana Prohibition in East Haddam &#8211; CT Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/town-residents-gather-to-air-views-on-marijuana-prohibition-in-east-haddam-ct-examiner.png\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>EAST HADDAM \u2013 The countless and complex layers of issues and emotions surrounding the legalization of marijuana in Connecticut were on full display on Wednesday night as more than two dozen residents aired their views at a public hearing called to gauge opinion on whether the town should outright prohibit it from any commercial use in town.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Heartfelt stories were told of marijuana\u2019s wonderful medical benefits, and its corrosive role in teenagers\u2019 mental health and the death of a young man killed by a driver high on marijuana and an assortment of other substances.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Some said a proposed marijuana shop in town that was denied last week by the zoning commission would be great for badly-needed tax revenue that will inevitably be gained by a neighboring town if a ban is passed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Others said the shop not only would create a traffic headache, but would simply be contrary to the town\u2019s character and send the wrong message to its young people and those thinking of moving here.<\/p>\n<p>Each speaker, ranging from their 20s to their 90s, finished their piece at Town Hall to applause that seemed evenly supportive for both sides.<\/p>\n<p>On this night at least, the two-hour debate was clearly a draw.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt seemed pretty even \u2013 fifty-fifty-ish,\u201d said First Selectman Irene Haines, who presided over the hearing to get opinions on a prohibition ordinance she proposed at a meeting two weeks ago and is likely headed for a public vote by referendum.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>She opened the hearing by reading the proposed ordinance, which would ban \u201c\u2026all cannabis establishments, producers, dispensary facilities, cultivators, micro-cultivators, retailers, hybrid retailers, food and beverage manufacturers, product manufacturers, product packagers, delivery services or transporters, or any other types of licensed cannabis-related businesses or the conducting of any such activity for commercial purposes by whichever name used is and shall be prohibited within the Town of East Haddam.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first speaker was Robert Casner, a local developer and chair of the town\u2019s economic development commission, who applied to open a small retail marijuana shop in a 382 Town Street building he owns that now houses a package store and an architect\u2019s office.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNone of the dozens of studies we reviewed showed that the opening of a retail cannabis store in a community leads to increased use of marijuana by teenagers,\u201d or to harder drugs or violence, he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The zoning commission last week said Casner\u2019s application \u2013 filed last fall just before a town moratorium on such shops was enacted \u2013 was incomplete because it did not include a traffic study on the impact the shop would have at the relatively busy intersection of Routes 82 and 151 just feet away.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Casner ended his remarks by saying his decision whether to appeal the denial would be influenced by what he heard at Wednesday\u2019s meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s going to depend a lot on what the community tells me,\u201d he said, noting that he saw overwhelming support in more than 300 social-media postings reacting to a <a href=\"https:\/\/ctexaminer.com\/2022\/01\/26\/east-haddam-officials-push-to-prohibit-marijuana-businesses-vote-to-deny-application-for-retail-store\/\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ctexaminer.com\/2022\/01\/26\/east-haddam-officials-push-to-prohibit-marijuana-businesses-vote-to-deny-application-for-retail-store\/\">story<\/a> in CT Examiner on the rejection of his planned shop.&nbsp; \u201cIf they want it or don\u2019t want it is going to have a big effect on my decision.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Thursday, Casner said that while he was pleased with the hearing\u2019s attendance and \u201cconstructive and civil discussion,\u201d he had not yet determined his future course.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><!-- This site converts visitors into subscribers and customers with the MailOptin WordPress plugin v2.2.43.0 - https:\/\/mailoptin.io --><\/p>\n<div id=\"FYFzjzCwGM\" class=\"moOptinForm mo-optin-form-inpost mo-has-email\" data-optin-type=\"inpost\">\n<div class=\"mo-optin-form-container\" id=\"FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container\">html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container { background: #fff; border: 3px solid #91a6bf; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; margin: 10px auto; text-align: center; width: 100%; padding: 20px 30px; color: #555; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-miniText { font-size: 1em; line-height: 28px; text-transform: uppercase; color: #1c2c60; font-weight: bold; font-family: Lora, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-heading { font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-caption { margin-top: 12px; font-style: italic; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container .columbine-form { overflow: hidden; margin-top: 20px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: left; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1 { float: left; width: 66.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2 { float: right; width: 33.333%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.date-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.text-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.password-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container select.mo-optin-form-custom-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field { background-color: #ffffff; width: 100%; display: block; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-border-radius: 0; -moz-border-radius: 0; border-radius: 0; padding: 11px 17px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: left; border: 1px solid #ccc; color: #555; outline: none; margin: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.date-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.text-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.mo-optin-form-custom-field.password-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field.textarea-field { -webkit-appearance: none; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input.columbine-submit, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container input[type=&#8221;submit&#8221;].mo-optin-form-cta-button { display: block; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; -webkit-appearance: none; border: 0; background: #54C3A5; padding: 13px 10px; font-size: 16px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; color: #fff; outline: none; cursor: pointer; font-weight: 700; width: 100%; margin: 0; border-radius: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-note { margin-top: 10px; line-height: normal; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.mo-optin-error { display: none; background: #FF0000; color: white; text-align: center; padding: .2em; margin: 0; width: 100%; font-size: 16px; -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; border: 1px solid #FF0000; } @media only screen and (max-width: 650px) { html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.mo-optin-error { margin-bottom: -10px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: none; width: 100%; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 10px; } } html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-column, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-two-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col1, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col2, html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-three-col3 { float: none; width: 100%; margin-right: 0; margin-top: 10px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-optin-has-custom-field div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.columbine-container div.columbine-column textarea.mo-optin-form-custom-field.textarea-field { min-height: 80px; }div#FYFzjzCwGM *, div#FYFzjzCwGM *:before, div#FYFzjzCwGM *:after {box-sizing: border-box;-webkit-box-sizing: border-box;-moz-box-sizing: border-box;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field:focus {outline:0}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-submit-button:focus {outline:0}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div.mo-optin-powered-by{margin:5px auto 2px;text-align:center;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div.mo-optin-powered-by a {font-size:16px !important; text-decoration: none !important;box-shadow:none !important;border-bottom-width:0px !important;cursor:pointer !important;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container .mo-acceptance-checkbox {background-color: #fff;line-height: 0;border: 1px solid #bbb;width: 16px;min-width: 16px;height: 16px;margin: 0 5px 0 0 !important;outline: 0;text-align: center;vertical-align: middle;clear: none;cursor: pointer;}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container .mo-acceptance-label {cursor:pointer}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p {padding:0px !important;margin:0px !important;color:inherit;}div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-wrapper label {color:inherit;font-weight: normal;margin: 0;padding:0;}div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost input[type=submit] {-webkit-appearance: none;}div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost_container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost input {z-index: auto;}div#FYFzjzCwGM.mo-cta-button-flag .mo-optin-form-note .mo-acceptance-label {display:none;}div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container iframe, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container object, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container embed, div#FYFzjzCwGM .mailoptin-video-container video { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost.mo-optin-form-wrapper {max-width:66% !important}div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost #mo-optin-form-name-field {display: none !important;}#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-spinner { border-radius: inherit; position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; background: #fff url(https:\/\/ctexaminer.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/mailoptin\/src\/core\/src\/assets\/images\/spinner.gif) 50% 50% no-repeat; left: 0; top: 0; opacity: 0.99; filter: alpha(opacity=80); } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-success-close { font-size: 32px !important; font-family: &#8220;HelveticaNeue &#8211; Light&#8221;, &#8220;Helvetica Neue Light&#8221;, &#8220;Helvetica Neue&#8221;, Helvetica, Arial, &#8220;Lucida Grande&#8221;, sans-serif !important; color: #282828 !important; font-weight: 300 !important; position: absolute !important; top: 0 !important; right: 10px !important; background: none !important; text-decoration: none !important; width: auto !important; height: auto !important; display: block !important; line-height: 32px !important; padding: 0 !important; -moz-box-shadow: none !important; -webkit-box-shadow: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-success-msg { font-size: 21px; font-family: &#8220;HelveticaNeue &#8211; Light&#8221;, &#8220;Helvetica Neue Light&#8221;, &#8220;Helvetica Neue&#8221;, Helvetica, Arial, &#8220;Lucida Grande&#8221;, sans-serif; color: #282828 !important; font-weight: 300; text-align: center; margin: 0 auto; width: 100%; position: absolute !important; left: 50%; top: 50%; -webkit-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -moz-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -o-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); -ms-transform: translate(-50%, -50%); transform: translate(-50%, -50%); } #FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-success-msg a { color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field:not(select), html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field { margin-top: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field { text-align: left; padding: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field label, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field label { display: block; text-align: left; margin-top: 6px; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .checkbox-field label input, html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .radio-field label input { margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: middle; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .select-field select { width: 100%; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field:not(select), html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .mo-optin-form-custom-field.checkbox-field, html div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .mo-optin-form-custom-field.radio-field { padding: 0 !important; border: 0 !important; background: transparent !important; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field label { display: block !important; margin: 5px 0 !important; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field label:last-child { margin: 0; } html div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-optin-form-container .mo-optin-form-wrapper .mo-optin-fields-wrapper .list_subscription-field input[type=checkbox] { cursor: pointer; } .mailoptin-content-lock { color: transparent!important; text-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,.5) 0 0 10px; -moz-user-select: none; -ms-user-select: none; user-select: none; pointer-events: none; filter: url(&#8220;data:image\/svg+xml;utf9,#blur&#8221;); -webkit-filter: blur(10px); -ms-filter: blur(10px); -o-filter: blur(10px); filter: blur(10px); } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container h1 { font-size: 32px !important; }div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 21px !important; }div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note { font-size: 14px !important; }@media screen and (max-width: 768px) { div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h1 { font-size: 30px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 18px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note { font-size: 14px !important; } }@media screen and (max-width: 480px) { div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-headline, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h2, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost h1 { font-size: 25px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-description, div#FYFzjzCwGM div.mo-optin-form-container div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost p { font-size: 16px !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note, div#FYFzjzCwGM div#FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-form-note * { font-size: 12px !important; } } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field:-ms-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-name-field::placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field::-webkit-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field:-ms-input-placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } #FYFzjzCwGM #FYFzjzCwGM_inpost .mo-optin-field.mo-optin-form-email-field::placeholder { color: #555555 !important; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-container { margin: 0 10px 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-label { font-size: 16px; margin: 5px 0 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-category-label { font-size: 14px; margin: 5px 0 2px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM input.mo-mailchimp-interest-choice { line-height: normal; border: 0; margin: 0 5px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM span.mo-mailchimp-choice-label { vertical-align: middle; font-size: 14px; } div#FYFzjzCwGM .mo-mailchimp-interest-choice-container { margin: 5px 0; }<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/ MailOptin WordPress plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cRight now, I\u2019m doing the groundwork to acquire the information that the Planning and Zoning Commission feels is necessary to complete my application,\u201d he said. \u201cI haven\u2019t made a final decision about whether to reapply.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Next up was Mark Thiede, owner of Wrasslin\u2019 Cats and perhaps the most public voice yet against the shop and marijuana itself \u2013 especially for what he asserts is its negative impact on young people.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He said the town needs to look beyond \u201cmaking a buck and all,\u201d and instead make a statement with a total commercial ban.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey can go elsewhere,\u201d he said of potential customers of the shop. \u201cIt\u2019s not that we\u2019re talking about accessibility \u2013 it\u2019s just about our community.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Most of the speakers that followed aired similar themes to the first two.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think it comes down to choice,\u201d Patrick Miett said. \u201cI\u2019m of the mind that we leave it up to people\u2019s individual responsibility and parents instilling values in their kids and not assuming your kid\u2019s behavior is going to be based on a store that is or isn\u2019t there. I just think the train has left the station on this issue \u2013 it\u2019s going to be everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou can always go somewhere else where they think it\u2019s a wonderful thing to have sex-toy stores, drugs, casinos, tattoo parlors \u2013 just line \u2018em all up, who cares it\u2019s all legal,\u201d said Shirley Caron. \u201cThere\u2019s so many things wrong here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is the epitome of political hypocrisy and unnecessary and arbitrary regulation,\u201d said&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Robert Saraco, aiming his comments at Haines\u2019 outspoken support for the town\u2019s businesses but opposition to a marijuana shop or other commercial possibilities. \u201cWhat if it was you that wanted to engage in a perfectly legal activity in town but you couldn\u2019t do it because other people in town didn\u2019t like it and they put it to a vote to stop it?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeople have no trouble getting this drug or cannabis or whatever the hell you want to call it,\u201d&nbsp; said Dick Everett, 92, who has lived in town since 1956. \u201cBut I don\u2019t think it\u2019s going to do the town one scrap of good to have it in town.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Haines said the Board of Selectmen will discuss the public hearing at its next meeting on Feb 16.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will determine the next step there,\u201d she said Thursday. \u201cI imagine we would go to a referendum, but I can\u2019t say that until the Board of Selectmen votes on that. I think this is an important issue and the statute outlines that towns can decide. Therefore, I feel we should provide the town the opportunity to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\">\n<div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon-text sd-sharing\">\n<h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EAST HADDAM \u2013 The countless and complex layers of issues and emotions surrounding the legalization of marijuana in Connecticut were on full display on Wednesday night as more than two dozen residents aired their views at a public hearing called to gauge opinion on whether the town should outright prohibit it from any commercial use in town.&nbsp; Heartfelt stories were told of marijuana\u2019s wonderful medical benefits, and its corrosive role in teenagers\u2019 mental health and the death of a young man killed by a driver high on marijuana and an assortment of other substances.&nbsp; Some said a proposed marijuana shop&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4064","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/town-residents-gather-to-air-views-on-marijuana-prohibition-in-east-haddam-ct-examiner.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4064","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4064"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4064\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4064"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4064"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4064"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}