The Board of Health on Monday approved a motion 2-1 directing the Health Department to recommend the town opt out of new cannabis delivery laws.

Monday’s vote allows Health Director Shaun McAuliffe to approach the Select Board with other town departments regarding the law. He will recommend the town apply for a two-year waiver allowing it to opt out of cannabis delivery to residential addresses. 

At the top of the discussion, McAuliffe claimed that the town’s voting history on marijuana allows it to ask for this exemption.

“Hopkinton’s in a unique position where we did not vote to support the legalization of marijuana,” he said. “Not voting for that, we have special privileges when it comes to this new regulation.”

Legislation signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey in April restructured the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, and changed both possession laws and the issuance of cannabis business licenses. Delivery of cannabis products now is allowed in any municipality unless it already prohibits cannabis businesses and asks to opt out.

In a previous Board of Health discussion on the law, members clarified that the town voted to ban marijuana businesses in town with an exemption for research and analysis.

McAuliffe stated that the town’s track record on cannabis and his own department’s concern over the health impacts of the drug — particularly on youth — influenced his decision to pursue the waiver. He added that his department is cooperating with Hopkinton Youth & Family Services and Hopkinton Organizing for Prevention to discourage normalization of cannabis in town and present a unified front to the Select Board.

Vice chair Mary Jo Ondrechen noted that the town’s vote against legalizing marijuana was “many years ago.” She hinted that residents’ appetites regarding the town’s anti-cannabis approach may have changed.

According to election data from the secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 51.6% of Hopkinton voters opposed the marijuana ballot question in 2016 versus 47.6% in favor.

McAuliffe reiterated that the waiver request is consistent with the work his department already is doing with the community. However, if attitudes have changed, he welcomed residents to share their opinions.

“If in two years the public has a different opinion and they want to voice that to the town manager, the Health Department and Youth & Family Services, by all means do,” he said.

Public health nurse Simone Carter offered her perspective.

“I see this mainly as a tool to keep it out of the hands of the younger, more vulnerable populations,” she said.

“As the Board of Health, we should try to protect our town as much as possible,” added chair Nasiba Mannan.

The board voted 2-1 to recommend the cannabis waiver to the Select Board. Ondrechen voted against the motion, reiterating previous objections to regulating the private actions of adults.

Carter: Town needs to ‘keep an eye’ on Ebola

During her public health nursing update, Carter addressed questions raised about hantavirus and Ebola. While she brushed away worries about hantavirus — stating it is “not an issue” — she expressed concerns over Ebola monitoring as the disease ramps up in other parts of the world.

“We need to keep an eye on Ebola,” she said. She noted federal cuts in disease monitoring and prevention — particularly to USAID — along with the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization pose problems for managing disease spread. 

“When [infrastructure] is cut, it means that all that upstreaming prevention is no longer there,” Carter continued. 

Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks continue to worsen as the disease is “outpacing the response,” according to reporting from NPR. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated in a recent update about the outbreak that “the overall risk to the American public and travelers remains low.”

Carter recommended residents cancel travel plans to affected regions and be mindful of current media coverage. “My plea would be to be aware and understand that the numbers that you see are not truly reflecting on what’s happening on the ground,” she said.

Mannan brought up concerns over the expected influx of international visitors to the region for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Boston’s official World Cup page estimates that 2 million people will visit the Greater Boston area from June 11-July 9.

McAuliffe allayed Mannan’s concerns regarding FIFA visitors and Ebola, stating that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health does believe the virus is a concern but is not likely to show up in Boston. 

“Flu is actually the concern with the state,” McAuliffe said. He explained that visitors coming from the southern hemisphere currently are experiencing their flu seasons. 

McAuliffe added that one of the primary areas of confusion is lack of clarity over how many people will attend World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. “My understanding is they haven’t sold out, and they’re far from selling out,” he said.