A growing number of Massachusetts communities are opting to leave their borders open to commercial marijuana businesses.
Recent votes in several cities and towns, including Amesbury, Brewster, Dracut and Marshfield, against prohibitions on pot shops have cheered advocates for the nascent cannabis industry. They say it could signal that communities around the state are slowly concluding that potential benefits, including a boost in tax revenues, outweigh the drawbacks of welcoming such businesses to town.
Still, at least 121 towns have approved restrictions on pot sales since the beginning of the year.
The so-called "not in my backyard" dynamic is not unique to Massachusetts. The Colorado Municipal League says nearly two-thirds of cities and towns in the first U.S. state to legalize recreational marijuana have opted out of hosting pot shops.
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