On June 20, a front-page article in the Guilford Courier entitled “Cannabis Sales Moratorium Extended” quoted Guilford First Selectman Matt Hoey as saying, the town would extend its current moratorium so the Board of Selectmen (BOS) could craft a new draft ordinance. “What I’m hearing is not what we put out tonight, which is an outright ban … what I’m hearing is that people would like to see something that says ‘yes, it can be allowed in the following way.’” The article also quoted Selectman Charles Havrda as saying that the BOS has continued to extend the moratorium due to a lack of public input and “We can’t keep having these moratoriums.” What the article did not say was how long the new moratorium is for. One month, two months, three months, etc.?

What has been suggested to the BOS in the form of a petition turned in to the Town Clerk on June 27 is that the moratorium on cannabis dispensaries should be extended for another six months until Dec. 31, 2024, that the non-binding referendum question “Should recreational and medical cannabis dispensaries be allowed in Guilford” be placed on the Nov. 5, 2024, ballot, that this non-binding referendum question be advertised at least three times prior to Nov. 5 via the Guilford mass communication system to ensure as large a participation as possible, and that the town schedule an informational meeting at either the Community Center or the High School to inform the public as to the effect cannabis dispensaries have had on other communities.

Whatever the outcome of this non-binding referendum question, it will certainly be a better indicator of how the residents of Guilford feel about cannabis dispensaries in Guilford than public hearings held at 8:30 a.m. on Mondays, which almost no one knew about or attended.

Dave Holman

Guilford