Michael Carroll is in favor of it. Jacob Brier is leaning the same way. And Rob Humm would not show his hand — at least not yet.

Members of the Barrington Town Council held a special workshop on Tuesday, May 31, discussing whether the town should allow the sale of recreational cannabis or if the issue should be put to a vote by residents this November.

After more than an hour of testimony from various town officials and comments from the public, Council President Carroll said he was in favor of allowing the sale of recreational cannabis in town. Councilor Brier appeared to be leaning that same direction, although he added that he was still considering whether to have it go to a referendum. Councilor Humm said he was going to wait until Monday to share his thoughts on the issue.

The council is expected to vote on the issue during its meeting on Monday night, June 6.

Council members Carl Kustell and Annelise Conway did not attend the recent public workshop.

Revenue and resistance

Early in the workshop, Carroll said Barrington would be entitled to additional tax revenue if the town allowed the sale of recreational cannabis. He said that a vote to prohibit the sale of recreational cannabis in Barrington would eliminate the chance for the tax revenue.

BAY Team Director Denise Alves said he wanted to see the issue put to a vote at the November election. The BAY Team serves as the substance abuse prevention coalition, and Alves cautioned that Barrington teenagers already have an issue with marijuana use. She said that according to a 2020 survey, about 30 percent of Barrington 11th- and 12th-graders have used marijuana. That was nearly the same rate as alcohol use, Alves added.

“That’s concerning in and of itself,” she said. 

Alves also cautioned that many people do not understand how the legislation works — she said that if the town council takes no action, that automatically opens up Barrington to the sale of recreational cannabis; the council can also put the item up for a vote at the November election. 

“People don’t understand that by doing nothing you’re opting in,” she said. 

Alves also called for officials to consider restricting advertising to “prevent youth exposure,” and implementing social host legislation penalizing those who would allow someone under the age of 21 to consume cannabis. There was also a suggestion that there be training required for those who will work in the retail outlet. 

Alves asked for officials to consider additional support for the schools with counseling and referrals, and extra resources for the BAY Team. 

Brier asked the assistant town solicitor, Amy Goins, if the town would have the authority to require additional training. Goins said the state has the control, as the state is the agency issuing the licenses. 

Kevin Mannering, of the town’s Economic Development Commission, said the EDC was excited about the opportunity. He offered to reasons why. The first was that there would be a limited number of licenses in the state, and hosting a retail outlet in Barrington could offer a boost to other local businesses. The second reason was that Barrington would benefit from additional tax revenue if it was to allow the sale of recreational cannabis.

Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia offered some reasons for concern in the future. He said data has shown that there has been an increase in traffic fatalities following the legalization of marijuana. He also said that the price point for retail marijuana sales is more expensive than black market sales, opening the door for illegal sales of marijuana to continue.

Chief Correia also spoke about challenges in the court system. He said that drug recognition experts (DREs) often face challenges in the justice system and with judges when offering testimony in criminal cases involving marijuana use. 

Chief Correia said he spoke to the chief of police in Seekonk, regarding recreational cannabis sales in that town; Massachusetts legalized recreational cannabis more than a year ago. Chief Correia said Seekonk did not experience any increase traffic issues along Route 6, where some of the shops are located, “but perhaps that’s because it’s Route 6.”

“Even if Barrington doesn’t get a retail outlet, we’re still going to see an impact. We’re not a walled town. I tred cautiously with these things,” Chief Correia said. 

Later in the meeting, Carroll said the argument over legalization of marijuana had passed.

“It’s legal,” he said, adding that the question now that must be considered was whether people wanted a recreational cannabis retail outlet in Barrington. 

“It’s going to be here. Do we want our folks selling it or trying to sell it?” Carroll asked. 

A few members of the public shared their thoughts. One resident spoke about the social costs of selling marijuana in town. He said it will create a wealth transfer from residents to the business owners. He even spoke about a potential drop in property values and additional costs for public safety and traffic safety.

Another resident said it would be a mistake to prohibit a retail outlet in town and lose out on the tax revenue. 

How many stores?

According to BAY Team’s Alves, the state is being divided into different zones, and each zone will have a limited number of recreational marijuana licenses. Barrington is located in Zone 6, Alves said, along with Bristol, Jamestown, Middletown, Tiverton, Portsmouth, New Shoreham, Little Compton, Warren, East Providence, Newport and Pawtucket. Alves said there would be a total of four retail outfits allowed in Zone 6.