[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
This chapter is enacted pursuant to authority granted under
30-A M.R.S.A. § 3001, 22 M.R.S.A. § 2429-D and
28-B M.R.S.A. § 402. The purpose of this chapter is to set
forth procedures and standards for the issuance of local licenses
for marijuana businesses in order to protect public health, safety
and welfare.
As used in this chapter, the terms below shall be defined as indicated. All other terms used in this chapter, if not defined below, shall have the same definition as set forth in §
120-301 of Chapter
120, Land Use.
APPLICANT
A person who has submitted an application for licensure as
a marijuana business pursuant to this chapter.
LICENSED PREMISES
The premises specified in an application for a license pursuant
to this chapter or within a license issued pursuant to this chapter.
LICENSEE
A person licensed pursuant to this chapter.
LICENSING AUTHORITY
The Town Clerk or, if referral to the Town Council is required
pursuant to this chapter, the Town Council.
MARIJUANA BUSINESS
An adult use marijuana store, medical marijuana caregiver retail store, medical marijuana registered caregiver, medical marijuana registered caregiver (home occupation), marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana manufacturing facility, marijuana registered dispensary, or marijuana testing facility, all as defined in Chapter
120, Land Use.
[Amended 4-12-2022 by Order No. 22-062]
OWNER
A person whose beneficial interest in a marijuana business
is such that the person bears risk of loss other than as an insurer,
has an opportunity to gain profit from the operation or sale of a
marijuana business and/or has a controlling interest in a marijuana
business.
PERSON
A natural person, partnership, association, company, corporation,
limited liability company or organization, or a manager, agent, owner,
director, servant, officer or employee thereof. "Person" does not
include any governmental organization. Premises shall mean the physical
location at which a marijuana business is to conduct its business.
STATE LICENSE
Any license issued by the State Licensing Authority.
STATE LICENSING AUTHORITY
The authority created or designated by the state for the
purpose of regulating and controlling licensing for marijuana businesses.
Effective 30 days following enactment of this chapter ("the
effective date"), a marijuana business shall not begin or continue
operations unless it has received and is in possession of a license
issued pursuant to this chapter. Marijuana businesses that hold an
approved land use permit and/or are operating as of the effective
date shall submit a completed application within 30 days of the effective
date but shall have a grace period of 60 days after the effective
date to receive a license, which may be extended by order of the Council
if justified due to the anticipated time line of the review process.
All medical marijuana registered caregiver and medical marijuana
registered caregiver (home occupation) license applications, whether
new or renewal, shall be reviewed and may be approved by the Town
Clerk. All other new license applications shall be reviewed and may
be approved by the Town Council after public hearing. Application
shall be made in writing using a form prepared by the Town for the
purpose and must include all information required by this chapter
and by the form. The Clerk shall give notice of any public hearing
held by the Town Council by publication in a newspaper of general
circulation in the Town of Windham at least seven days prior to action.
The review procedures described below shall be the same for
initial license applications as well as renewals, unless otherwise
indicated. In reviewing license applications, the licensing authority
and any consulting Town officials may consider the approval standards
under this chapter as well as other applicable local, state or federal
laws and, for license renewals, the licensee's record of compliance
with the same.
A. The Town Clerk shall be responsible for the initial investigation
of the application to ensure compliance with the requirements of this
chapter and to obtain recommendations from other Town officials as
required.
B. The licensing authority shall have the authority to impose any conditions
on a license that may be reasonably necessary to ensure compliance
with the requirements of this chapter or to address concerns about
operations. Failure of any licensee to comply with such conditions
shall be considered a violation of the license and of this chapter.
C. No license shall be granted by the licensing authority until the
Police Chief, Fire-Rescue Chief, Health Officer and Code Enforcement
Officer have all made positive recommendations regarding the applicant's
ability to comply with this chapter or any other applicable Town ordinance
or state or federal law enforced by such officials. The Town Clerk
shall provide a copy of the license application to each official along
with a form upon which the official shall note his or her findings
and conclusions, as well as any recommended conditions of approval.
The Town Clerk shall automatically include any conditions of approval
recommended by the officials on an issued license for which the Clerk
is the licensing authority. The Council shall have discretion to attach
any conditions it deems necessary to any license it awards.
D. For renewal licenses, the application, review process and reviewing
authority shall be the same as for initial licenses. If any official
consulted by the Town Clerk finds that a renewal license application
should not be approved, or if the Town Council so orders, the application
shall be forwarded to the Town Council for further review. In such
case, the Town Council shall, upon review of all staff recommendations
and applicable laws, make the final determination as to whether the
renewal license should be issued and/or any conditions to be attached.
All renewal applications for adult use marijuana stores, medical marijuana
registered dispensaries or medical marijuana caregiver retail stores
shall be reviewed by the Town Council, which shall issue a renewal
license only upon a finding that the store or dispensary has in the
past license term been operating in accordance with this chapter as
well as with the store's or dispensary's previously submitted operations
plan.
[Amended 4-12-2022 by Order No. 22-062; at time of adoption of Code (see
Ch. 1, General Provisions, Art. I)]
E. Licenses shall be approved only for the type(s) of marijuana business(es)
identified in the application. A licensee who intends to expand or
convert the licensed premises to a type of marijuana business that
is not specifically approved in a license must obtain a new license
for that use.
F. Any licensee that is required to obtain approval from the State of
Maine shall provide the Code Enforcement Officer and Town Clerk copies
of all necessary approvals prior to operating the licensed business.
G. Any licensee other than a medical marijuana registered caregiver
(home occupation) shall, prior to operating the licensed business,
contact the Code Enforcement Department to request an inspection by
the Code Enforcement Officer and the Town Manager or his/her designee
to determine the marijuana business's compliance, as-built, with the
requirements of this chapter as well as the submitted operations plan
(if applicable).
H. Any municipal official with authority to make recommendations, grant
licenses or enforce this or other municipal ordinances regarding marijuana
businesses shall have authority to enter the premises of an applicant
or licensee without notice to make any inspection reasonably necessary
to ensure compliance.
A license application for a marijuana business shall be denied
by the licensing authority, and an existing license may be suspended
or revoked by the Town Council after notice and hearing if the applicant,
or any owner of the applicant or licensee:
A. Fails to meet the requirements of this chapter.
B. Is not at least 21 years of age.
C. Has had a license required for the marijuana business suspended or
revoked by the Town, by a municipality in the State of Maine, or by
the state.
D. Is in violation of this or any other ordinance or has unpaid penalties
assessed by a court related to the marijuana business.
E. Has not acquired all necessary state and local approvals (other than
final state approval) prior to issuance of the license.
F. Fails to meet zoning or other requirements of Chapter
120, Land Use, or Chapter
185, Shoreland Zoning.
G. Has been convicted of a criminal violation arising out of operation
of a marijuana business.
H. Has, within 10 years prior to the date of the application, been convicted
of selling or furnishing marijuana, alcohol, or any scheduled drug
to a minor, or of allowing a minor under that person's control or
in a place under that person's control to consume any of these substances.
I. Has provided false or misleading information in connection with the
license application.
In order to obtain and retain a license pursuant to this chapter,
the applicant/licensee shall demonstrate to the Town Clerk and all
reviewing officials that the following requirements are met. The licensee
shall comply with each of these requirements during the term of the
license:
A. Display of license. The current license shall be displayed at all
times in a conspicuous location within the premises.
B. All licensed premises shall be fixed, permanent locations. Licensees
shall not be permitted to operate marijuana businesses in other than
the licensed premises, such as at farmer's markets, farm stands or
kiosks.
C. Security.
(1) The licensed premises shall have lockable doors and windows and shall
be served by an alarm system which includes automatic notification
to the Windham Police Department.
(2) The licensed premises shall have video surveillance capable of covering
the exterior and interior of the facility. The video surveillance
system shall be operated with continuous recording 24 hours per day,
seven days per week, and video shall be retained for a minimum duration
of 30 days. Such records shall be made available to law enforcement
agencies when investigating a criminal complaint.
(3) The licensed premises shall have exterior spotlights with motion
sensors covering the full perimeter of the building(s).
(4) Medical marijuana registered caregiver (home occupation) uses shall not be required to meet Subsection
C(2) and
(3).
D. Ventilation.
(1) The licensed premises shall comply with all odor and air pollution
standards established by ordinance.
(2) All marijuana businesses, other than medical marijuana registered
caregiver (home occupation), shall have an odor mitigation system
installed that will provide odor control sufficient to ensure that
no odors are perceptible off the premises.
E. The facility owner/operator shall make adequate provisions to prevent
patrons or other persons from loitering on the premises. It shall
be the licensee's obligation to ensure that anyone found to be loitering
or using marijuana or marijuana products in the parking lot or other
outdoor areas of a licensed premises is ordered to leave.
F. A marijuana business shall meet all operating and other requirements
of state and local law. To the extent the State of Maine has adopted
or adopts in the future any law or regulation governing marijuana
businesses that conflicts in any way with the provisions of this chapter,
the more restrictive shall control.
G. Marijuana businesses shall operate in accordance with all material
representations made in the approved license application and operations
plan (if applicable). If the licensee is required to notify the state
of a change related to the marijuana business, the licensee shall
promptly provide the Town Clerk with a copy of such notification and
the Town Clerk shall forward it to the Police Chief, Fire-Rescue Chief,
Health Officer and Code Enforcement Officer for their review. If any
of these officials determines that the change is not in accordance
with the requirements of this chapter, or requires additional conditions
of approval, the change shall be forwarded to the Town Council for
consideration.
[Amended at time of adoption of Code (see Ch. 1, General
Provisions, Art. I)]
The operation of any marijuana business without the required
license or in violation of the requirements of this chapter shall
be a violation of this chapter. The Windham Town Council or its designee
shall enforce the provisions of this chapter. A violation of any provision
of this chapter shall be a civil violation, and a civil penalty in
accordance with 30-A M.R.S.A. § 4452 shall apply. Current
penalties include fines of not less than $100 nor more than $2,500
per violation for each day that the violation continues. The penalty
for operating a marijuana business without a valid license shall be
$500 per day for each day that the violation continues. The Windham
Town Council may also revoke or suspend the license after notice and
hearing.
The provisions of this chapter are severable, and if any provision
shall be declared to be invalid or void, the remaining provisions
shall not be affected and shall remain in full force and effect.
Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, this chapter incorporates the requirements and procedures set forth in the Maine Marijuana Legalization Act, 28-B M.R.S.A. Chapter
1, as may be amended, and the Maine Medical Use of Marijuana Act, 22 M.R.S.A. Chapter 558-C, as may be amended. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this chapter and the provisions of said Acts or any other applicable state or local law or regulation, the more restrictive provision shall control.