WILTON — The Select Board approved one change to a proposed new Cannabis Ordinance on Tuesday after a public hearing. It will go to voters at a meeting Oct. 1 at 6 p.m. at the Academy Hill School, 585 Depot St.

Residents and business owners offered suggestions to improve the document.

It has been a long process, Mike Wells, chairman of the Cannabis Ordinance Committee and vice chairman of the Select Board, said, during the public hearing at the Town Office.

“We have had a lot of great input,” he said, thanking individuals and business representatives for their input.

In October 2023, the town instituted a six-month moratorium which prohibited all cannabis establishments as well as the location, operation, or licensing of all cannabis establishments not operating with municipal approval. The moratorium was extended for six months and expires Oct. 17. No more extensions are allowed.

The state has made changes to the laws governing marijuana for medical cannabis use, recreational use, and caregivers.

The Wilton Cannabis Ordinance Committee wrote a new ordinance to comply with the Office of the State Cannabis Policy, including aligning definitions, Wells said.

The purpose of the ordinance is to provide for and appropriately regulate the issuance of local licenses for recreational and medical cannabis businesses in order to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the citizens of Wilton, Wells said.

One change recommended by Amber Patterson, owner of Honeycomb Farm, a cannabis dispensary in Wilton, was to remove the language that would have allowed marijuana to be mailed through U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service, FedEx and other delivery services.

Patterson said that sending it through the postal service would violate federal law.

The same paragraph now reads: “Adult use cannabis stores, medical cannabis caregiver retail stores, and medical cannabis dispensaries shall not use vending machines for sales, shall not have ‘drive-through’ or ‘drive-up’ window-serviced sales, and shall not have internet-based sales with credit/debit card payment.”

Patterson said they could order online but they have to go to the point of sale to pay for it.

Resident Tom Saviello suggested they remove a limit on marijuana retail stores.

The new limit is set at five for a combined total of adult use and medical caregiver retail stores. There was no limit on retail stores previously.

The town should not limit free enterprise, he said, since it does not regulate other businesses.

“We already lost three facilities,” he said.

The only things limited is retail stores, Wells said.

Saviello said he still thinks they should take the five out because they were going down a slippery slope.

Patterson also raised concern about putting caregivers’ names and location out in public by making people apply for an occupational permit.

Previously it was difficult to get information on who had medical caregivers’ licenses but the state had made it confidential, Wells said.

The new law that went into effect Aug. 9 replaced the confidentiality provisions of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act.

“The new confidentiality of the Maine Medical Use of Cannabis Act maintains the confidentiality of any patient information obtained or maintained by Office of Cannabis Policy, while providing that a patient could permit the release of such information with written consent,” according to a letter John Hudak, director of the Office of Cannabis Policy.

The new law makes public most information regarding registered caregivers, dispensaries, manufacturing facilities, or testing facilities operating in the medical cannabis program. However, the new law exempts from disclosure personal contact information of registered caregiver activities, or assistants, officers or directors of a registered caregiver, dispensary, manufacturing facility or testing facility.

The proposed ordinance adds a specific requirement for medical caregivers operating from a residence to obtain a home occupation permit.

The board, after debate over limiting retail stores and interfering with the free enterprise economy, decided to let voters make the decision on the ordinance.

The document can be reviewed at the Town Office, or online.

People can also call the Town Office at 207-645-4961 for more information.