ELIOT, Maine -- Organizers behind a nonprofit entity looking to grow and dispense medical marijuana out of a locally based clinic cleared a substantial hurdle Saturday when town meeting voters shot down a proposed moratorium that would have allowed elected Eliot officials more time to study the issue before permitting such activities within the town.

Substantial debate over the topic preceded a simple hand vote that saw the proposed moratorium failing to pass muster, with some voters saying they didn't want to support a temporary ban that seemed too open-ended, with one resident arguing it would let selectmen study the issue "in perpetuity."

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