From the Planning Board: Information on Marijuana Referendum Questions on the May 8, 2023 Annual Town Election Warrant

Why are these referendum questions on the Town Election Warrant?

At the May 2022 Annual Town Meeting, the Town voted to approve warrant articles that amended Princeton’s Zoning By-law as to commercial cultivation of marijuana in town. Under state law (Mass. Gen. L. c. 94G), Town Meeting-approved Zoning By-law restrictions on marijuana cultivation must also be approved at a municipal election.

What are the Quick Facts?

These amendments do not apply to homegrown recreational marijuana for personal consumption; they only apply to commercial cultivation, processing, and manufacturing of marijuana. State law exempts marijuana cultivation from the zoning protections typically afforded to agriculture. The Planning Board proposed these Zoning By-law Amendments to address potential negative impacts of commercial marijuana operations, including odor from flowering marijuana plants; water use; wastewater; pesticide and fertilizer use; energy use; light pollution; traffic; security; and potential hazards associated with extraction and processing. The Planning Board was advised that a complete prohibition of commercial marijuana cultivation, processing, and manufacturing would be disallowed by the Attorney General unless there was an exception for commercial cultivation of medical marijuana. In order to minimize potential nuisances, the Zoning By-law amendments would only allow small-scale, indoor commercial cultivation of medical marijuana in Business-Industrial Districts.

Answering “Yes” and adopting the Zoning By-law Amendments on the ballot will: (1) prohibit commercial cultivation, processing and/or manufacturing of marijuana in Residential-Agricultural Districts and Business Districts; (2) prohibit commercial cultivation, processing, and/or manufacturing of non-medical marijuana in the Business-Industrial Districts; and (3) regulate (and allow) the indoor commercial cultivation, processing and manufacturing of marijuana only for “medical purposes” in Business-Industrial Districts, provided that the total canopy of the property does not exceed 5,000 square feet and that the operations will not be offensive, injurious, or noxious, and subject to minimum setback from lot lines and any adjacent residential buildings.

Where can I get more information?

• For a detailed FAQ on these Zoning By-law Amendments, click here.
• To read the Warrant for Annual Town Election and the three Referendum Questions, click here. 
• To see the May 2022 Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles—specifically Warrant Articles 19, 20, and 21—click here
• To read the Massachusetts Attorney General’s approval of Princeton Annual Town Meeting Warrant Articles 19, 20, and 21, with notation of need for approval at a municipal election before taking legal effect, click here.

Questions? Join the Planning Board at their meeting on May 3 at 7:30 pm at the Town Hall Annex or virtually via GoToMeeting. (See Town Website for meeting agenda and virtual link.)