Lakeville selectmen hold public forum on adult-use marijuana zoning, host agreements and local tax options

The Town of Lakeville Board of Selectmen held a public forum April 4 to gather resident feedback on how the town should regulate adult-use (recreational) marijuana through local zoning, host community agreements and local-option taxes, with board members saying they aim to place proposed bylaws before the June town meeting.

Town counsel Katie Loughman explained the division of authority under Massachusetts law: the Cannabis Control Commission will license commercial marijuana establishments at the state level, but municipalities must certify local zoning and play three roles in the licensing pathway — a community outreach hearing required of applicants, negotiation of a host community agreement (HCA) that can include a community impact fee, and local zoning that controls time, place and manner for the uses. Loughman noted HCAs can include community impact payments capped at 3% of gross sales and that municipalities must certify that proposed locations comply with local zoning before a state license can be issued.

The forum focused on where different adult-use license types (cultivation, product manufacturing, independent testing laboratories, retail sales and transporters) should be allowed in Lakeville and whether the town should limit the number of retail outlets. Selectmen said the board has been discussing limiting retail to two operations and exploring an overlay district that would pick…