Election 2025: Should Burlington Lift the Ban on Recreational Cannabis Sales?

This article is a part of the Burlington Buzz Election 2025 Series, in which we profile each candidate and issue on the local election ballot. This year's election is on April 5, 2025, and our mission is to make it easy for all registered voters to vote by ensuring the community has access to information about the candidates and issues on the ballot. ELECTION CORNER

As Burlington residents prepare to vote next month in a non-binding referendum on lifting the town’s ban on marijuana shops, people here are divided on the question, though many do not seem to care one way or the other. 

When Massachusetts voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016, the state allowed towns that voted against legalization to decide whether they want to have recreational dispensaries. Burlington’s Town Meeting enacted a ban on these shops in 2017.

But that could change.

The Select Board voted 3-1, with one abstention, on January 27 to put the issue on the April 5 town-wide ballot as a non-binding referendum. The vote is solely aimed at determining if Burlington residents have changed their opinions over the past eight years; a Town Meeting vote would be required to lift the ban.

Michael Espejo, a Burlington Select Board member, said at the January 27 meeting that the Select Board has “gotten a lot of negative feedback through email” about removing the ban.  

“But everyone I’ve talked to, if you talk to someone one to one or you reach out to someone,” Espejo said, “It seems like people are either in favor of marijuana sales in town or they’re ambivalent.”

While most residents Burlington Buzz spoke with about the issue said they don’t use marijuana or don’t have an opinion, a few did voice their thoughts.

Saty Pattnaik, who works in the financial department of a biopharmaceutical company, said he is against lifting the ban because it will make it too easy for people to obtain marijuana. “It just intoxicates your brain, your mind, and your body, and it causes a lot of health issues as well if you overdo it,” Pattnaik said. 

Ann Rose, a registered nurse, said she favors lifting the ban because people go to other towns to get their marijuana, depriving Burlington of tax revenue. Municipalities can impose a tax of up to 3% of adult-use marijuana retail sales.

Rose said she voted against the ban in 2017 and does not think there would be much pushback if Burlington decides to have recreational marijuana shops. “[Marijuana shops] are everywhere,” Rose said. “You see signs all over the highway for them, like Melrose has them, Gloucester has them, Woburn has them.” 

Ariel Diaz, who runs a convenience store, said he opposes the ban because he wants marijuana sales to be more convenient. He said it would be good for the community and Burlington could generate more money. “Burlington has a bunch of stupid rules,” Diaz said. “They need to lift some of these things.”

Betsey Hughes, who is a Town Meeting member, said having recreational marijuana shops would not be good for Burlington. 

“The economic benefits are overhyped and uncertain. The economic and social costs are ignored and shouldn’t be,” Hughes said. “Having pot shops in Burlington is not an unavoidable outcome.”

Hughes said she received quite a few emails from residents who rent apartments in her precinct who voiced opposition to lifting the ban. The town already voted on the issue, they said according to Hughes. Additional reasons they mentioned: That there are risks associated with marijuana; Burlington's reputation for good neighborhoods might be called into question; and there are plenty of pot shops nearby. 

“If somebody wants it, they can get it without compromising our family-oriented culture here in town,” Hughes said.

Burlington is one of over 120 towns in Massachusetts that do not permit retail marijuana, including the nearby towns of Bedford and Lexington. Over 180 towns allow the marijuana shops, including Billerica and Woburn.

In her experience as a human resource executive, Hughes has dealt with substance abuse issues. She says some CEOs and human resource officers are concerned about having marijuana stores within walking distance of workplaces where people can go out for lunch and consume gummies. 

“It’s not like alcohol where you can smell it,” Hughes said. “It’s invisible on the surface, but it definitely affects performance.”

Burlington resident Will Seagaard, who owns the Fresh Connection marijuana cultivation facility in Fitchburg, spearheaded the initiative to revisit the ban and add zoning for recreational cannabis.

Seagaard said he favors lifting the ban for the tax revenue and because it provides a controlled environment for selling marijuana. Marijuana is being sold, whether illegally or in nearby towns, so Burlington might as well get the financial gain, said Seagaard. 

“It was approved at the state level, and we’re not changing that,” he said. “What we can change is how it’s done in our community and what kind of safeguards we can put up. Saying we’re not going to ‘allow’ it doesn’t change the fact that it’s here.”

James Hanafin, a Burlington detective sergeant, said he would rather not have recreational marijuana shops in the town but is not strongly opposed to them. Many of the people the police deal with who have mental health issues are marijuana users, he said. 

A lot of people are concerned about bringing “riffraff” into town, Hanafin said, but there are already so many people coming from out of town to shop or stay in hotels here that he does not think it will make much of a difference.

While some Burlington police officers are strongly against marijuana, Hanafin said, he has not heard much from residents.

Burlington residents the Buzz talked to didn’t generally have strong opinions about the issue.

“It’s not something you’re going to go out and wave the flag about, like, ‘Hey, let’s sell marijuana here,’” Espejo said. “It’s either, ‘It doesn’t really affect me,’ or you’re strongly against it and that would enable or motivate someone to write a letter to the Select Board or to their Town Meeting member.”

Voters have the opportunity to vote during this year’s town election on whether or not they support lifting the ban. Mail-in voting has begun, early in-person voting runs from March 19 through April 3, and Election Day is Saturday, April 5, at Burlington High School.

What do you think? Voice your choice with TownVote, powered by our civic partner, VoteLight. You can also ask questions and state your opinions using this platform.

This non-binding referendum is one of two questions on the local election ballot. The second question will be whether or not the Town Clerk role should be converted from elected to appointed. Check out our story for information on the pros and cons of each.

This story is part of a partnership between Burlington Buzz and the Boston University Department of Journalism.