Townsend Board of Health Hears Marijuana Petition, Approves Three Septic Permits

TOWNSEND — April 28, 2026 — Townsend Board of Health heard a pitch to loosen medical marijuana zoning rules and approved three septic permits at its April 28 meeting. Citizen petitioner Colby Streeter walked Chairman Dr. Christian Romney Ramirez and Vice Chair Charles Paul Serene through three Annual Town Meeting articles — Articles 18, 19, and 20 — that would cut dispensary buffer zones from 500 feet to 100 feet, allow establishments in the Outlying Commercial District, and classify marijuana cultivation as an agricultural crop eligible for Chapter 61A tax savings. Streeter argued the town is "missing out" on revenue flowing to Ashby and Groton, while Ramirez raised public health concerns about misuse; a Zoom participant, Avery Leidling, flagged that medical marijuana cards are available to residents as young as 18. The board took no vote on the petition, which goes before the Planning Board for a public hearing before the May 5 Annual Town Meeting. The board also scheduled a public hearing on a draft hauler regulation for May 11, a move that could earn the town up to $1,800 in state Recycling Dividends Program grants.