Newport is saying no to marijuana sales. Monday night, the City Council voted to ban selling marijuana or marijuana-infused products in the city, as well as opening dispensaries.

Those things won't be legal under the law that starts in Vermont July 1, so we wanted to know why the city is taking this pre-emptive measure. Newport Police Chief Seth DiSanto says it's necessary.

"Opening up a marijuana facility for commercialized sale in the city is absolutely 180 degrees opposite of the direction the recovery community wants to go in," DiSanto said.

DiSanto says the new law taking effect July 1 puts public safety at risk. And while Newport's new ordinance will not affect people's ability to possess or use small amounts of marijuana in their own homes, he says it will keep the city safer if there ever is a market for legal weed.

"If every other town in the Northeast Kingdom says they want to be involved in that, that's fine. What the city of Newport is saying is, we're not interested in the blood money," DiSanto said.

The ordinance puts a $500 penalty on selling marijuana in the city. If no action is taken, it will take effect in a couple months. The chief says they would have preferred to avoid this, but when the Legislature legalized marijuana they had to act.

"The laws that the Legislature passed this last session to absolutely nothing for public safety. Zero. That's our job. So, if we have to write amendments and ordinances in this fashion, that's, unfortunately, kind of the position we've been forced into," DiSanto said.

It's a message reiterated by Newport Mayor Paul Monette.

"We get a lot of federal grants. And I was afraid that might put those in jeopardy. Because it is illegal," Monette said.

The chief and mayor say they did hear from people at Monday night's meeting who were not happy with that decision, but they called them a vocal minority. A few people we spoke with say they don't think it was the right move.

Reporter Cat Viglienzoni: Do you think the city of Newport should be able to tell businesses down the line that they cannot sell marijuana?

Ashley Stoddard/Newport: No, I think that should be up to the businesses... People were to do it responsibly, that's different, but they have to be responsible enough to do it.

But most of the people we talked with say they think the city made the right call.

"I was actually proud. I don't smoke and I don't think it should be sold at grocery stores or at the corner," said Toni Robarge of Newport Center.

"Save it for the big cities. Not in our small towns. We don't need it here," said Bob Olmstead of Newport.

DiSanto says Newport isn't the first place to do this. He says he actually knows of some towns that have already either started the process to ban marijuana sales or have already done it. But he says he's also hearing from other chiefs around the state who say they're interested in what Newport just did because they might consider trying it in their own jurisdictions.