Leominster, MA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)
Key Facts
- Fine
- $100 per offense
- Covers
- streets, parks, buses, any public-accessible place
- Enforced by
- police, mayor, mayor's agents
- Adopted
- August 11, 2014; amended May 29, 2018
- Track
- criminal or noncriminal disposition, city's choice
- Citation
- Leominster Code of Ordinances § 14-21
Summary
Leominster bans consuming or inhaling marijuana or THC in any public space under city control, including streets, sidewalks, parks, beaches, playgrounds, parking lots and public buildings, plus buses and any place accessible to the public. Violators face a $100 fine per offense, enforced by police, the mayor's agents, or through noncriminal disposition, on top of any state civil penalty.
No person shall inhale, ingest, or otherwise use or consume marijuana or THC (as defined in M.G.L. c. 94C, §1, as amended) while in or upon any street, sidewalk, public way, footway, passageway, stairs, bridge, park, playground, beach, recreation area, boating landing, public building, schoolhouse, school grounds, cemetery, parking lot, or any area owned by or under the control of the city; or in or upon any bus or other passenger conveyance operated by a common carrier; or in any place accessible to the public. ... This ordinance may be enforced through any lawful means in law or in equity including, but not limited to, enforcement by criminal indictment or complaint pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40, §21, or by noncriminal disposition pursuant to M.G.L. c. 40, §21D, by the mayor, or any duly authorized agents, or any police officer. The fine for violation of this ordinance shall be one hundred dollars for each offense. Any penalty imposed under this ordinance shall be in addition to any civil penalty imposed under M.G.L. c. 94C, §32L.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 24).
Full Breakdown
Leominster's Code of Ordinances § 14-21 bars anyone from inhaling, ingesting or otherwise using or consuming marijuana or THC, as defined in Massachusetts General Laws chapter 94C, § 1, while in or upon a long list of public locations: streets, sidewalks, public ways, footways, passageways, stairs, bridges, parks, playgrounds, beaches, recreation areas, boat landings, public buildings, schoolhouses, school grounds, cemeteries, parking lots, or any area owned or controlled by the city. The ban also reaches buses and other passenger vehicles run by a common carrier, and extends broadly to any place accessible to the public, closing off privately owned spaces such as store lots that customers can enter.
The ordinance was adopted August 11, 2014 and amended May 29, 2018, after Massachusetts voters legalized recreational marijuana in 2016; it functions as Leominster's local complement to the state possession law. c. c. 40, § 21D. c. 111, § 31 to regulate tobacco and non-tobacco smoking and vaping in workplaces and public spaces, so a single incident can draw both a police citation and Board of Health action. c. 94C, § 32L for public consumption.
Violations & Fines
A first violation and every subsequent violation each carry a flat $100 fine, issued per offense rather than per day, so repeated use in the same location on different occasions produces separate fines. The city can pursue the case as a criminal complaint under G.L. c. 40, § 21, but typically issues it as a noncriminal ticket under G.L. c. 40, § 21D, payable to the city and separate from any state civil fine under G.L. c. 94C, § 32L.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I smoke marijuana on a Leominster sidewalk or in a city park?
Does the ban apply on private property?
Who enforces the ordinance and how?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Leominster
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