MILFORD — Voters in Milford have banned pot shops and other marijuana businesses from operating in town despite supporting the legalization of recreational pot in Massachusetts last year.
The Tuesday referendum was being watched closely as it was the first to be held in the state since the Legislature adopted a new set of rules for cities and towns to follow if they are seeking to bar retail marijuana stores. However, more than 100 Massachusetts communities have approved outright bans, moratoriums or zoning restrictions on retail marijuana since passage of the November ballot question.
In November, 52 percent of those who voted in Milford cast ballots in favor of the statewide ballot question that legalized adult use of recreational marijuana. But on Tuesday, a larger share — 56 percent — supported the ban, according to unofficial results.
The vote, which must be formally approved by Town Meeting, means it still would be legal for adults to use marijuana, but they would have to go elsewhere to buy the drug legally.
“We are disappointed by the outcome of the referendum and continue to be concerned about whether it accurately reflects the will of the residents of Milford, who so strongly supported legalization of recreational marijuana in last fall’s high-turnout election,” said Milford Citizens for Fairness, a group that formed to oppose the referendum, in a statement.