The city council tabled a vote on legalizing recreational marijuana at its meeting on Monday. Earlier in the evening, the legislative affairs subcommittee voted to recommend the legalization. However, the zoning subcommittee voted to keep a zoning ordinance that would dictate where marijuana dispensaries could operate was kept in that committee.
Councillor-at-Large Michelle Kelley has presented several amendments to the zoning ordinance that the subcommittee wished to discuss further. During the subcommittee meetings, a number of residents spoke against legalization and noted that many of them had only recently heard about the potential council vote. In addition to the several dozen people who came to the meetings, opponents presented over 300 signatures and addresses of people opposed to legalization in the city.
Several of those opponents also spoke during the regular council meeting. Board of health member Viviana Catano said she was speaking as a private resident in opposition to legalization of recreational marijuana. However, she noted that the board of health was never consulted to make a recommendation to the council on legalization. “I am asking as a resident to take a pause and consider everything and make sure you are all on the same page,” said Catano.
“Many residents just found out about this this weekend. We could have multiplied the signatures we gathered in four days.” Kelley also asked about the process for the council voting on the legislative affairs subcommittee recommendation when the zoning ordinance remained in the zoning subcommittee. “Obviously, this is a sensitive situation,” said Ward 4 Councillor and legislative affairs chair Paul Argenzio. He said he was willing to table the vote on recreational marijuana legalization to give residents more time to provide their input, however, Argenzio said he was unlikely to change his mind on the subject.
“We have dispensaries that are within walking distance of Revere, so having a dispensary in Revere, Revere residents are just going outside the city and purchasing their marijuana and coming back into the city,” Argenzio said. “People in Revere are calling up on the phone and getting it delivered to the city.” Council President Anthony Cogliandro said he was also agreeable to delaying the vote.
“I spoke to Viviana this weekend,” he said. “We have been discussing this for three months, however, I don’t expect all of you to get home from work, take care of your children, and then say, ‘hey, I wonder what is going on with the city council tonight.’ I do lean towards tabling this so you call have a little more of a voice.”