The licensing process opened this month for growers who want to cultivate cannabis for the state's newly legal recreational marijuana industry. But under a provision of the law passed by the state Legislature, farmers do not automatically have a right to grow cannabis, as they have a right to grow other crops.
Instead, a marijuana grower can only operate in places where the city or town zones for marijuana.
Farmers say larger industrial growers can choose where to locate a facility -- but local farmers are being blocked.
Many towns are still considering how to deal with marijuana, whether through a moratorium, ban, cap on retail stores or zoning. But so far, 65 communities have banned marijuana permanently, and 161 have moratoriums in place, generally until the end of the year, according to the Massachusetts Municipal Association.
Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock
