A majority (59.98%) of Brookline residents voted “Yes” to Question 4 on the 2016 State election ballot to legalize adult-use Marijuana, making Brookline a “Yes” community. “No” communities are those in which the majority of residents voted “No” to Question 4.
A “Yes” community could not place certain controls on Marijuana Retailers (businesses that sell Marijuana directly to the consumer) unless those limitations were approved by BOTH Town Meeting AND via a Town-wide referendum.
In preparation of the State's July 1, 2018 deadline (when recreational marijuana could be legally sold to consumers), Town Boards, Committees, and Departments worked proactively to introduce a series of Warrant Articles to create a regulatory process for Marijuana Establishments. Warrant Articles 17 to 22 were approved at the May 2018 Annual Town Meeting.