SOUTHWICK – Political newcomer Jason Perron won a three-year term on the Select Board last week against incumbent Joseph Deedy, who had sat on the board since 2013.

Perron won with 627 votes to Deedy’s 544, and he was shocked at the result himself, having never run a political campaign before. After a few days to process the result, Perron said he was excited to take office, and was ready to see firsthand how the boards and committees of Southwick interact with the Select Board.

Though he is just one of three Select Board members, along with Doug Moglin and Russell Fox, Perron said he wants to go to the heads of each town department and get their “wishlist,” just so he has an idea of the needs of each department.

He also wants to see some bigger changes in town while he is in his three-year seat. Voters at the annual Town Meeting in 2018 voted to prohibit marijuana dispensaries from opening in Southwick after the state had legalized recreational cannabis by ballot measure in 2016. Perron, a Westfield police officer, said he would like to see the town reconsider that ban.

“I talked to some people who were opposed to dispensaries but supported me in the election. I explained to them that the fears and concerns they have about it just aren’t there,” said Perron.

Perron said he doesn’t consume marijuana himself, and never has, but has not seen much harm coming from legalization.

“People have this image of the pothead stoner stereotype,” said Perron. “Marijuana is more prevalent than people think.”

If for no other reason, he said, Southwick should allow marijuana dispensaries to not miss out on what has proven to be a good source of tax revenue for the state and individual communities.

According to the Cannabis Control Commission, $500 million has been spent at recreational marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts since just Jan. 1 of this year. In all of 2021, the state received $112 million in excise taxes from marijuana sales, more than double initial projections.

Perron said that Connecticut, which legalized recreational marijuana use last year, will soon open its first recreational dispensaries. Though crossing state lines with marijuana is illegal, Perron said that Connecticut residents have been traveling through Southwick to get to Westfield and other communities with dispensaries due to a lack of their own to buy from. He said Southwick should try to take advantage of that potential revenue sooner rather than later.

“If Southwick stays dispensary-less, I bet Granby does it and puts it over town line,” said Perron. “I’ve never smoked it, never been interested, but the benefits are there. I want to help bring in businesses that will bring in tax revenue to avoid raising taxes on residents.”