ORANGE — The town’s acting police chief aimed to dispel rumors and put minds at ease by explaining what the legalization of marijuana means to Orange.
Chief Craig Lundgren addressed the Orange Board of Selectmen on Thursday to discuss Question 4, which was approved on Nov. 8.
He said the law will go into effect on Dec. 15, though there will likely be proposals to amend certain items in the bill. He said people will need to be 21 or older to purchase marijuana and will able to carry up to 1 ounce of it on their person. The chief distributed a photo of 1 ounce of marijuana and selectmen’s Chairwoman Kathy Reinig noted it was roughly “a quart-size Ziploc bag.”
Lundgren said the town passed a bylaw in 2009 — one year after the state Legislature legalized medicinal marijuana — that states no person can “smoke, ingest or otherwise consume” marijuana in a variety of locations the public has a right to access.
He said violation of this bylaw is a criminal offense that requires a court appearance in front of a judge and a fine of up to $300.
Lundgren explained, under the law, people 21 or older will be able to possess up to 10 ounces of marijuana in their home. People can also grow up to six marijuana plants per person or 12 per household. At the state level, smoking or consuming the drug in a no-smoking zone or any place the public has a right to access would result in a non-criminal citation of $100.
The chief has received phone messages and e-mails from residents concerned there will be a flood of people smoking marijuana in the center of town.
“It’s not going to happen. It’s not,” he said. “The law was passed. We’re going to deal with it. I don’t think it’s going to be Armageddon. I really don’t.”
In June, the Orange Board of Selectmen voted to issue letters of support to Orange Alternative Health & Wellness Center and from the Happy Valley Compassion Center, two applicants interested in establishing medical marijuana dispensaries in town. Reinig said the two nonprofits have sent applications of intent to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for state licenses to operate registered medical marijuana dispensaries. She and Lundgren said if they are approved, they would likely be at the front of the line to get approval for recreational sale.