Nick and Karin Ashmore, seated in the foreground, attend a special town meeting Monday in Livermore where their application to sell medical marijuana was approved. The couple operate Inside Out Garden Supply on Route 4. Livermore Falls Advertiser photo by Pam Harnden

LIVERMORE — Residents voted 12-4 on Monday night to approve the application by Inside Out Indoor Garden Supply LLC to sell medical marijuana.

The decision followed a public hearing on Nick and Karin Ashmore’s request for the Route 4 business, which opened five years ago.

“Their site plan review was deemed complete,” Amy Byron, the town’s administrative assistant, said, and the applicants met with Code Enforcement Officer Travis Tardif.

Nick Ashmore said he planned to follow all state guidelines on the number of plants allowed on premises and amounts of medical cannabis that can be sold daily.

“Quite honestly, there have been many changes in the laws,” he said. “If approved, there will be a list posted of what we can and can’t do according to state law. I have no interest in being a pot store. We’re a grow store. I would like to sell medical cannabis just like we sell pipes and grow supplies.”

Resident Kathy Lee asked if the couple had concerns about security issues.

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Karin Ashmore said they have security systems in place.

“We have 11 or 12 cameras inside and outside the store,” her husband said.

“Why are we approving a store for the sale of this kind of stuff when they can go to Lewiston?” resident Frank Goodwin said. “All we’re doing is attracting negativity.”

“This is medicine,” Nick Ashmore said. “It’s not my opinion, it’s a fact. I vote yes for medicine. I voted no for recreational marijuana.”

Planning Board Chairman Cliff Berry said the town passed an ordinance not to have recreational marijuana, but medical marijuana is a separate issue.

“There’s not a lot we can do about it,” he said.


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