AUGUSTA — A majority of city councilors want the city to allow recreational marijuana sales and other recreational cannabis-related businesses to operate in Augusta, where currently only medical marijuana is allowed to be sold.
Six of eight city councilors spoke in favor of allowing recreational, or adult-use, sales of marijuana in Augusta Thursday, and city staff anticipate having a proposal prepared for a vote at the council’s Dec. 7 business meeting.
Councilors said opting to allow recreational marijuana businesses can bring the city new tax revenues, provide access to a product residents already can purchase legally in several surrounding municipalities, and help ensure that marijuana sold in the city is safe because the product is tested when sold through legitimate businesses.
Most councilors said they favor opening up the city to all forms of state-licensed recreational marijuana businesses, including retail sales, manufacturing, cultivation and testing.
Some councilors said the city should set a limit on the number of such businesses that can open, while others said free enterprise will sort that out and the city should not regulate how many can open.
“I believe in free enterprise and I think Augusta should open its doors to all forms of manufacturing, testing, selling, everything, and come up with a fair fee, not $100, not $40,000, a fair fee,” said Ward 3 City Councilor Michael Michaud. “If 10 different people want to come in and open up 10…
