The Town of Wayne Select Board on Nov. 18 heard from Alisa Ellis, a representative of the State Office of Cannabis Policy, about municipal options for regulating cannabis and whether the town should draft an ordinance.

Ellis told the board that adult‑use and medical cannabis operate under two separate state programs: municipalities must opt in to allow adult‑use facilities such as cultivation, manufacturing, retail and testing, while the medical program requires opt‑in for dispensaries and inherently hazardous manufacturing. By contrast, caregiver cultivation, certain manufacturing and wholesale operations may operate in a municipality without a local opt‑in, though local governments can impose zoning and permitting conditions. “You cannot ban them, but you can regulate them,” Ellis said.

Board members pressed for specifics on caregiver limits and safety risks. Ellis said caregiver cultivations typically fall into tiers, with the largest caregiver canopy listed on applications at 500 square feet; she added that caregiver operations are often smaller (single‑household grows of a dozen plants) but that some warehouse arrangements now house multiple caregivers. She warned that unregistered large grows can pose fire and emergency‑response problems and recommended registration or notification systems so emergency personnel are aware of on‑site hazards.

Members discussed fee and licensing approaches used elsewhere — Ellis said local license fees vary widely (she cited examples ranging from modest fees to registry fees that can be thousands of dollars) — and asked staff to identify towns with ordinances Wayne could use as models. Several board members said they wanted to review model language and land‑use implications before deciding whether to recommend the town opt in for any activity.

The board asked staff to: gather example ordinances and regulatory language used by other municipalities, summarize options for zoning and registration, and examine Wayne’s existing land‑use code and enforcement capacity. The item will return to the board in a future meeting for a decision on next steps and, if desired, drafting guidance the town would put on a warrant or ordinance form.