Taunton's synthetic marijuana ban ready for mayor's signature

The process of adopting an ordinance holding convenience store owners and individuals liable for selling, possessing or using synthetic marijuana is being expedited.

The City Council Tuesday night suspended its rules requiring that a week pass between a third reading of a proposed ordinance and a final roll call vote of the full council.

The vote was unanimous to suspend the rule and to pass the new ordinance, which now requires the signature of Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. in order to become official.

The ordinance would impose a first-time fine of $150 and a $300 fine for each subsequent offense.
The two categories of substances described within the ordinance include synthetic marijuana and synthetic marijuana analogue. Both apply to an array of products sometimes marketed as bath salts, potpourri, incense, spice and other substances not intended to be ingested.

Two weeks ago, Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh informed the council that he and assistant city solicitor Daniel de Abreu had collaborated on the ordinance.

Walsh says the police have had to deal with an increasing number of cases involving mainly young people who smoke synthetic pot and sometimes experience hallucinations and psychotic episodes.
Tuesday night also saw the postponement of a discussion of the council?s motion two weeks ago for a home rule petition to the state to exceed the city?s quota of 24 retail liquor licenses.

The council?s move to add another eight licenses, split evenly between beer-and-wine and all-liquor, created a backlash among local package and convenience store owners who say it would hurt their sales and perhaps even put them out of business.

The council voted to postpone until next week any discussion or public comment of the topic so that all nine councilors have a chance to partake in the proceedings. Two councilors, Deborah Car and David Pottier, were not in attendance this week.

At least 24 people representing Taunton and Raynham stores showed up and calmly accepted the council?s suggestion that they pick up the conversation next Tuesday.

The council also voted to ask the city?s license commission to come in next week to explain their rationale for recommending that the eight licenses be added.

In other news, a citation was presented by the fire department to the family of the late David Orcutt who drowned in 2001. The fire department spent days looking for Orcutt and eventually recovered his body.

The Orcutt family since then has organized numerous fundraisers that have paid for equipment used the Taunton Fire Department dive team.

Source: http://www.tauntongazette.com/news/x1676642075/Tauntons-synthetic-marijuana-ban-ready-for-mayors-signature?rssfeed=true

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