LISBON — The Town Council on Tuesday voted down an ordinance that would have regulated the location of medical marijuana facilities for those who care for two or more patients.

The unanimous vote came two weeks after a public discussion on the ordinance, which appeared to show town leaders and residents split on the matter.

At the Dec. 6 hearing, Councilor Kasie Kolbe had raised concerns about caregivers who are already outside the commercial and industrial zones — caregivers who would not have been grandfathered if the ordinance had passed.

“I’m not OK with voting for it and saying to those caregivers, ‘Sorry you have to shut down,’” Kolbe said.

Planning Board member Donald Fellows had argued that the ordinance would reinforce the town code enforcement officer, who already regulates those zones.

“These zones haven’t been challenged,” Fellows said, “but might be if this (ordinance) doesn’t pass.”

Under Maine law, a registered caregiver is allowed to provide medical marijuana to five patients, not including him or herself. This means that a husband and wife could together have 10 patients who would be at risk if their caregivers were outside the zones.

“The major concern is coming down to the village area where you have a very dense population, putting up to five patients all in one setting and changing the whole character of, potentially, downtown,” Fellows said.

The council voted 6-0 to not adopt the ordinance, with one councilor absent.

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