VASSALBORO — The Board of Selectmen left a public hearing Thursday night expecting to hold a special town meeting either to impose a moratorium on the sale of recreational marijuana or to prohibit it completely.

Around 40 people gathered at the Town Office after a regularly scheduled board meeting to discuss how the town should move forward regarding the recent statewide vote on Nov. 8 to legalize recreational marijuana. Most residents opposed the idea of allowing recreational marijuana retail stores or social clubs in town, as well as growers. Some also said they wanted to prohibit the expansion of medical marijuana growers in town.

The outcome of referendum Question 1 makes it legal for people 21 or older to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana for recreational purposes. It also allows for marijuana retail stores and social clubs.

The votes are being recounted after legalization won by a margin of less than 1 percent, but towns and cities across the state already had started working to enact moratoriums on marijuana social clubs and retail stores before the election. Moratoriums temporarily ban the establishment of certain businesses to give towns time to create regulations.

However, because Vassalboro has a town meeting form of government, the selectmen cannot vote to enact the moratorium. It needs a special town meeting, which in Vassalboro requires a quorum of at least 125 voters.

In the Nov. 8 election, 55 percent of those who voted in Vassalboro voted against Question 1, said Rep. Dick Bradstreet, R-Vassalboro, who attended the meeting.

Residents who attended the public hearing seemed mostly to agree that they didn’t want more marijuana coming to the town, which now has two medical marijuana growers.

Lauchlin Titius, chairman of the selectmen, said the town has four options: do nothing, enact a moratorium, prohibit retail sales or social clubs or draft an ordinance to limit or restrict retail stores.

“I would strongly suggest this town become a dry town,” Jim Pfleging said. Pfleging moved to Maine last year from Santa Barbara, California, where he was a law enforcement officer. He said he was “at ground zero” for the movement toward marijuana legalization.

“All of these businesses are simply money laundering facilities,” he said, explaining that it is a mostly cash business and thus easy to distort on tax forms. “Any benefit that comes in the way of taxes is going to be minuscule.”

Pfleging also said it would affect the town’s safety, “encouraging” robberies and burglaries.

“It’s a much easier task to rob a retail marijuana establishment … than it is to take a lot of time selling that dope around,” he said, referring to people who sell heroin.

After Pfleging talked, other residents spoke to say they agreed.

One woman said the town shouldn’t have recreational marijuana businesses because it has a school.

However, Tyler Brown asked whether there had been a significant increase in crime since medical marijuana became legal. Titus said he hadn’t noticed a difference in the town constable’s reports over the last eight years, but another resident pointed out that state police and the Kennebec County Sheriff’s Office also service the area.

“A lot of the uptick in crime over the last 10 years has obviously been heroin,” said Brown, who said he is on boards in Augusta and has dealt with the Augusta Police Department. They see the two drugs as “unrelated,” he said.

As part of the younger generation of the town, Brown, who grew up in Vassalboro, said he saw potential limits on medical marijuana as a limit on the next generation.

“It’s very hard to undo a town’s ordinance,” he said. Even while he may not agree with the law himself, Brown said, this gives opportunities for legitimate businesses, which the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry would monitor.

Brown also asked whether growing could potentially affect the town’s revenue, as agricultural land is taxed at a lower rate. Titus said the legislation allows for 18 total acres in the state, and less than 1 acre per person, which would have a minimal effect on taxes.

Selectman Robert Browne noted that the town has one part-time constable, and if it passes any local ordinances on recreational marijuana, it won’t receive enforcement help from the state or the county sheriff.

Doug Phillips, a Planning Board member, said he supported a moratorium on growing facilities as well.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s the air in this town, but they seem to like to come here for some reason,” Phillips said.

Madeline St. Amour — 861-9239

mstamour@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @madelinestamour