Kent Cannabis Committee holds initial meeting

KENT — The first meeting of the Cannabis Regulation Subcommittee within the Planning and Zoning Commission met the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 3 to elect a chair and lay the groundwork for future Subcommittee efforts.

P&Z member Sarah Chase was promptly elected to head the group, after which she gave a detailed report on the legality of cannabis in the state as well as a brief overview of the current science surrounding its psychoactive effects.

In the presentation, she outlined the complexities of regulating the plant, given that though it is legal for recreational and medicinal use, it remains an illicit drug at the federal level.

She mentioned, however, that the state’s decision to legalize recreational use is motivated by its potential to bring in a “significant amount of tax dollars,” as well as its capacity for catalyzing improvements in criminal justice reform and funding social equity programs.

The subcommittee discussed a proposed survey to be sent out to Kent residents to get a sense of locals’ attitudes toward and knowledge of the plant. The idea for a town survey will be formally suggested at the Oct. 10 P&Z meeting.