Selectmen discuss possible revisions to town cannabis regulations, ask for data and public input

The Board of Selectmen discussed a request from Planning & Zoning to review Winchester’s municipal cannabis regulations and offered initial comments and directions at the Feb. 18 meeting.

Planning & Zoning had asked the selectmen for input on whether the regulations should be revised. Selectmen discussed the 200‑foot buffer provision as currently written (distance from schools, daycares, places of worship and playgrounds) and the implications for Main Street properties and potential retail locations. Some members said the 200‑foot rule and Main Street location restrictions were originally intended to limit prominent retail sites; others suggested that some site‑specific exceptions or special permits could be appropriate.

The board asked the town manager to provide data from the police department on cannabis‑related incidents, including driving‑under‑the‑influence cases, and requested that Planning & Zoning hold a public hearing if it moves forward with regulatory changes. A selectman noted state law already prohibits smoking within 25 feet of public buildings; others said 25 feet does not provide meaningful protection from odor in many areas and suggested stricter local rules around public property and recreation fields.

Ending Selectmen agreed to keep an open dialogue with Planning & Zoning, ask for police data on cannabis‑related driving incidents, and encourage public notification and hearings if the commission develops proposed changes to the town’s cannabis regulations.