By Richard Price
Grafton News Editor –
Nature’s Remedy of Massachusetts, a nonprofit business seeking to develop a marijuana grow facility and dispensary at CenTech Park, was the focus of a public hearing at the Tuesday night selectman meeting held in Grafton High School. Their plan is to occupy 50,000 square feet at 8 Millennium Drive, located near the MBTA train station and the Tufts Veterinary campus. The area is zoned for office and light industrial.
Town officials are moving more cautiously with Nature’s Remedy who are seeking a letter of nonopposition as one step toward approval with the state’s Department of Public Health. In addition, the Planning Board would conduct a site plan review. At the May Town Meeting, a bylaw was passed that requires marijuana dispensaries to obtain a special permit which would bring more discretion.
In November, many residents were opposed when a letter of nonopposition was signed for Sage Cannabis to move forward with their proposal to open a dispensary on Worcester Street near Hollywood Drive. Neighbors said they were kept out of the loop and were not given an opportunity to voice concerns about traffic and the site’s location near homes and where children congregate.
In past meetings, Town Administrator Tim McInerney said selectmen are not required to hold a public hearing but decided to with Nature’s Remedy.
Chief Operating Officer John Brady and Attorney Phil Silverman from Nature’s Remedy presented their proposal to the board and residents in attendance. Brady said although they will have up to 50,000 square feet they plan to build out on 20,000 initially then expand later as patient count increases. Their company would then cultivate the plants and sell it in their dispensaries, one proposed on the same site at Centech Park, a second proposed dispensary would be in Westford.
Silverman said the proposed operation would project to serve 40 to 80 patients a day, about eight per hour based on industry averages. Most patients, he said, would be in the dispensary for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Selectman Chair Jennifer Thomas asked Nature’s Remedy what would happen to the site if recreational marijuana were passed in a November ballot vote. Silverman and Brady said under state law the operation would only be licensed as a medical facility. Silverman said even if they opted to attempt to convert to a recreational facility, the town would retain rights to restrict it.
The representatives said if approved, security at the medical marijuana site would be tight and that they would work closely with police officials to satisfy their concerns. They also said finished products, that could be delivered to other dispensaries they own, would be delivered in unmarked cars fitted with lockboxes, two-way radios and cameras. They also said any cash on site would be swept regularly by armored car for deposit into a bank.
But some residents and one business owner in attendance Tuesday were still concerned about the proposed site converting later into a recreational store.
Tony Russell, who said his business owns 150 acres adjacent to Centech, was concerned that the potential retail traffic could impact a $100 million deal that would bring a large tenant into the area. He said it was with a Fortune 500 company and that he has been working closely with town officials for months. Russell told the board larger companies want to know the nature of any potential business neighbors because it might impact their operation.
Resident Jim Gallagher said he is more supportive of a medical dispensary in CenTech but added that his research showed some support that dispensaries could easily convert to a recreational site, which concerned him. Another resident, Mark Johnson, said he too was concerned about the business easily converting to a recreational shop if a state ballot passes in November. He said he a bill being proposed on Beacon Hill would make that process easy. Johnson cautioned town officials to move slowly, especially since Sage Cannabis is still seeking approval on Worcester Street.
McInerney told the board he recently spoke to Michael Dundas, the owner of Sage. He was told the state is still reviewing the Worcester Street proposal, including a filing from residents that the proposed business would be within 500 feet where children congregate. McInerney said Sage is also looking at other opportunities outside Grafton.
But McInerney also said other communities like Shrewsbury and Worcester have lucrative agreements with medical marijuana operations and that the public should also take that into consideration. He also said with the new bylaws in place the town has more control and that if the state, in his opinion, gave medical marijuana close scrutiny they would do the same with recreational if the ballot passes.
Selectmen voted to continue the hearing on Nature’s Remedy to a future date.
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