CAMDEN, Maine — Town leaders say the voter turnout for Camden's municipal elections this year was "unprecedented," with more than 2,000 people voting on a proposal to allow retail cannabis stores to open up shop in town.
According to the town's board of directors, roughly 68 and 62 percent of people voted no on both articles 3 and 4 on the ballot.
"The planning board and the select board ultimately decided [to] send it to the voters and let the voters decide, and the voters did decide," Jeremy Martin, Camden's planning and development director, said.
Behind the opinions of locals is the grassroots group Camden Cares, which formed earlier this year in response to the ordinance proposal.
Group president Jordan Cohen said concerns were not centered around preventing adult recreational cannabis use itself.
Opposition from residents varied from keeping the "Ma and Pop" charm of the downtown area to concerns on underage usage.
"We have very few commercial zones, so really every storefront counts," Cohen said. "If we were to put in a retail marijuana store, that is one less opportunity for another store, something maybe more family friendly [like] karate classes, dance schools."
Camden local Mark Benjamin owns his own recreational marijuana store, Botany, in Rockland and originally proposed the ordinance change in the hopes of opening up shop in Camden.
After working with other coastal Maine towns in the past, he said he has not seen this kind of pushback in a while.
"I think that Camden and Maine towns in general have to decide where they want to be when they grow up, and if they want to be inclusive of all sorts of businesses, I think Maine has to think really seriously about how cannabis fits into our economy and our culture," Benjamin said.
Although he said he accepts the outcome of the vote, Benjamin said he believed the town passed up on a good business opportunity.
According to state data, recreational cannabis created nearly $159 million in reported sales just last year.
Town officials have said they don't expect for the ordinance to be challenged anytime soon.