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2026 Annual Town Meeting, Town of Arlington, MA

Article: 15

Warrant Article Title:

BYLAW AMENDMENT / ADOPTION OF EQUITY BYLAW

PURSUANT TO MASSACHUSETTS CANNABIS CONTROL

COMMISSION REGULATIONS

Warrant Article Text:

To see if the Town will vote to amend Title I of the Town Bylaws

to adopt a Municipal Equity Bylaw pursuant to regulations

promulgated by the Massachusetts Cannabis Control

Commission; or take any action related thereto.

Requested By:

the Town Manager

Report Excerpt:

Vote and comment to Town Meeting - No Action (5-0).

This article was inserted at the request of the Town Manager as a

place holder for the possible submission of a draft cannabis

municipal equity bylaw for the Board and Town Meeting’s

consideration. The Board heard from Town Counsel, who

reported that after review of applicable law and the model bylaw

currently offered by the state’s Cannabis Control Commission

(“CCC”), he recommended no action on this article.

Pursuant to applicable law, host communities are required to

pursue a bylaw or local process that meets the Commission's

minimum acceptable equity standards for promoting and

encouraging full participation in the regulated marijuana industry.

Unfortunately, CCC’s current regulations conflict with state zoning

law and are so extraordinarily vague that compliance of any

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potential bylaw with the regulations would be highly uncertain.

Given this, and since the overwhelming majority of host

communities have not yet adopted any of the CCC’s suggested

compliance measures, the Board recommends that no action be

taken at this time to adopt the CCC’s cannabis model equity

bylaw.

Vote Language:

That no action be taken on Article 15.

Select Board Report