Planning Board Sends Marijuana Ban to Town Meeting Without Endorsing It

WEST NEWBURY — April 21, 2026 — West Newbury Planning Board declines to endorse marijuana ban, sends it to town meeting as "will of the town." The board voted 3-1 Tuesday to forward a proposed total prohibition on marijuana establishments — Article 19 on the annual town meeting warrant — without recommending passage, over the objection of Vice Chair Rob Phillips, who argued the board had a planning duty to take a clear stance. Chair Ann E. Bardeen and Clerk Raymond A. Cook said the decision properly belongs to residents now that they understand the implications of the town's 2016 yes vote on Question 4, which automatically opted West Newbury in to allowing cannabis businesses under state rules requiring only a 500-foot school buffer. A Select Board member explained that even if town meeting approves the ban, it cannot take effect unless voters also pass a companion ballot question expected at the May 4 town election — and if either vote fails, the companion overlay district bylaw in Article 20 remains the town's only regulatory tool. Town meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27.