By Dawn De Busk

Staff Writer

CASCO — The Casco Board of Selectmen has heard in the past year from a handful of business people who were interested in bringing a marijuana-based business to town. Most of the potential locations are in South Casco, along Roosevelt Trail.

These business proposals deal specifically with recreational marijuana since the state oversees medical marijuana.

For the most part, the Casco board has not had any lengthy discussions about the topic of recreational marijuana.

Late last month, during the July 30 meeting, new Town Manager Courtney O’Donnell put out feelers regarding the opt-in laws.

As lawmakers in Augusta fine-tuned the recreational marijuana law, towns in Maine were not forced to have marijuana businesses within their boundaries but instead have the option to vote to accept such businesses, which is why it is called “opt-in.”

“From my perspective, I am wondering where you stand and when it could get done,” O’Donnell said.

“If you decide to make it a warrant article, there is a lot of work that needs to be done,” between now and next town meeting in 2020, she said.

First, the locally-elected officials should figure out if town residents want to opt in, she said.

“Is it a dead issue? I am trying to gauge the temperature,” O’Donnell said.

Selectman Mary Fernandes several times over the past year has suggested bringing in an expert on a topic to provide information to the board.

This time, Selectman Thomas Peaslee was the first to suggest this.

“It would be nice to have someone come in and speak. It would be nice to have both the pros and cons,” Peaslee said.

Fernandes said that the Maine Municipal Association (MMA) is hosting a seminar on recreational marijuana, for which she has signed up and planned to attend.

She said she would report to the board what she learns from the seminar.

“Also, there is an excellent article in Lake Living on CBDs,” Fernandes said, lifting up a copy of the magazine which had an article on cannabidiol oils.

Town Manager O’Donnell agreed that “a discussion would be valuable.”

She explained that the town could draft an ordinance that opted in for businesses that only dealt in retail sales or only the agricultural side of recreational marijuana.

Selectman Grant Plummer noted, “A couple of those groups (interested in starting businesses in Casco) expected it to be on the town warrant at this town meeting. We do need to be proactive.”

“We need to see if the voters are there or not on this issue. Let’s see what other communities are doing and if they are successful or not,” Plummer said.

O’Donnell reported to the board that she has talked to one of the people interested in starting a pot-based business and told him that adopting an ordinance will take time.