Wells, Maine, to Hold Vote on Recreational Marijuana Sales
The Wells Select Board has decided to let voters decide whether recreational cannabis can be sold in the town, reversing the Planning Board’s earlier denial of a proposal by JAR Consulting. The company wants to convert its medical marijuana dispensary into an adult-use cannabis store.
The Planning Board had unanimously denied JAR’s request in February, citing concerns about public safety, the local comprehensive plan, and local, state, and federal regulations. However, the Select Board voted 4-1 to send the proposal to voters during the upcoming annual town meeting on June 10.
Select Board Chair John MacLeod III argued that it’s essential to let the people have a say in the matter. “Maybe people have changed their mind and want a bite of the apple. If they don’t, they’ll shoot it down. If they want it, they’ll vote for it,” he said.
JAR Consulting’s Joel Pepin explained that the medical market for cannabis is shrinking, and the adult-use recreational market is growing. He believes that allowing adult-use cannabis sales in Wells could attract a larger customer base.
Some residents, like Nancy Ford, expressed concerns about the potential impacts on local young people, traffic, and public safety. Ford argued that voters made a distinction between medical and recreational use when they approved medical cannabis sales in 2017 and that allowing adult-use cannabis stores could lead to other scenarios related to the substance being proposed.
However, Adam Platz, one of JAR’s owners, acknowledged the concerns and emphasized that adult-use cannabis sales could be better regulated and tested than medical cannabis. He also pointed out that surrounding communities already have recreational cannabis shops and that Wells could benefit from allowing such sales.
The Select Board’s Vice Chair, Scott DeFelice, supported letting voters decide, stating, “This isn’t our government; it’s the people’s government. I feel like they deserve the opportunity to weigh in, up or down, on how they feel about this issue.”
Select Board member Kathy Chase was the lone dissenting voice, arguing that the town’s previous votes on cannabis-related issues have shown what the people want and that allowing recreational cannabis sales could lead to all three medical dispensaries in town switching to recreational sales, resulting in no medical dispensaries remaining.
The fate of recreational marijuana sales in Wells will now be decided by the town’s voters during the annual town meeting on June 10.
