Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
About 30 people turned out this week to find out more about a proposed marijuana cultivation center slated for the Easton industrial complex.
Selectmen invited public input on the plan from Commonwealth Alternative Care at a June 27 meeting at Frothingham Hall. The company is asking the board for a letter of support or non-opposition to build a medical marijuana cultivation facility in Easton.
After an hour of discussion, selectmen said they should make a decision by July 11.
In the meantime these were some of the most common and talked about concerns the public brought forward in the meeting and the answers from Commonwealth.
Selectmen ask that if people still have comments or questions or want to acknowledge their support or opposition for a cultivation center in Easton to email selectmen@easton.ma.us
1 The smell
People who live near by the proposed cultivation center and business owners in the industrial park asked if the smell of marijuana would surround the area.
John Greene, director of community development at Commonwealth, described the building's layout as a "box inside a box."
"The technologies we are using in our carbon system are air scrubbers," Greene said. The plants will be located in the "inner box." The air in that area will be thoroughly filtered before moving to the secondary system (second box). The air will be filtered again in the secondary system before it is released outside.
Greene said Commonwealth chose a raw plot of land, and not an existing building, is so that they could build the structure exactly the way they want to.
"There will be no smell emitted if built right," Greene said.
2 Theft: money and marijuana
Several people expressed concerns about the crime that may follow the marijuana. What would be the likeliness of the center being robbed? Is it possible that employees could steal the plants?
"This is purely a cultivation and process site. There will be no cash there," said Dan Delaney, Commonwealth chief executive officer, at the previous meeting. He said problems such as theft mainly happen at retail sites. "There will not be foot traffic and no access to the general public at the cultivation site."
The site will have security cameras in all corners, with 24/7 video surveillance. Only employees will have access using state-issued key cards.
Delaney also has said they would consider giving the Easton police full access to the cameras so they can watch the activities in the center in real time, also allowing the police to respond quickly if there is an emergency.
As for employees stealing, Delaney said first and foremost backgrounds of employees will be thoroughly checked and Commonwealth will administer random drug tests.
While Commonwealth stated they would not tolerate employee drug use they were unclear whether people who have medical marijuana cards could work there.
The marijuana plants will also have a seed to soil tracking system, said Greene. Once a seed is planted it will be tracked all the way to when it is sold. Saying that if a plant disappears they will know.
3 Impact on youth
One of the biggest concerns raised was the impact a cultivation center in town would have on the youth.
"If the town lets this cultivation center open what is the message the town is sending to the youth? That the money is more important," said Kristin Harrison, an Easton resident and nurse.
As a nurse Harrison said she sees a lot of people come in who have addictions or have faced them. When she asks how they started on the addiction path, "95 percent of the time they say they started with alcohol or marijuana."
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducted a survey and found that 43 percent of high school students in Massachusetts said they used marijuana one or more times in their life. Massachusetts was 3 percent higher than the national average that year.
Patients, with a medical marijuana card must be 21-years-old, Greene said.
Easton resident Stephanie Patton, a substance abuse prevention coordinator in Stoughton, said she believed dispensaries would work to keep kids from purchasing marijuana.
"But look at liquor stores," she said. "Kids can't buy alcohol there but most often they get access by someone making a legal purchase."
Greene took examples from other communities including Colorado where crime rate decreased after legalizing marijuana. He said youth marijuana use, was down in some Colorado communities while other communities that banned marijuana all together saw marijuana use rise above the national average.
If there was a cultivation center in Easton, Green said the company would donate $25,000 to youth addiction prevention and drug abuse treatment programs.
4 Dispensary locations
While there will be no Commonwealth dispensaries located in Easton (dispensaries will be located in Cambridge, Brockton and Taunton) people expressed their concern what the medical marijuana could do the towns where dispensaries are located.
"My concern is that Easton is becoming a supplier to dispensaries in Brockton and Taunton which are poorer communities with drug problems," said Easton resident Amy McMannis. "We would be cultivating for people and places where it (marijuana) is being abused."
"This is for medical use and this has been done very very well. This is medicine. This is helping a lot of people," said Greene.
Medical marijuana is prescribed to patients with "debilitating medical conditions" such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, ALS and HIV/AIDS. It is also prescribed to patients with conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression and anorexia.
Medical marijuana cards are written by licensed doctors but also must be approved by the state.
"Although it is an extremely lucrative business, with the fees being given to the town, does that outweigh potential societal problem that I don't think were ready for?" asked McMannis.
Greene compared marijuana to Prohibition saying that during the ban on alcohol in the 1930s more people were trying to illegally obtain alcohol, which in turn caused more crime.
Greene said he believes people are less likely to turn to the black market to buy marijuana if it is regulated.
"If you knew the company was supplying to dispensaries and it was having a negative impact to that area, I would like to think you would take a stance on it," said McMannis to Commonwealth.
"If we found that the medical marijuana dispensary was producing negative impact in those communities we would take steps to address it," Greene said.
5 Recreational use
Recreational marijuana is currently not allowed in Massachusetts, but is allowed in four states and Washington D.C. People asked if Massachusetts did pass recreational marijuana if Commonwealth would still only supply for medicinal purposes.
Delaney said while he supports medical marijuana he strongly opposes the recreational use of marijuana.
However if recreational use in Massachusetts is passed, Commonwealth said that would have to be a discussion for the future.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 5 Things To Know About Proposed Marijuana Cultivation Center
Author: Sara Cline
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Wicked Local
Selectmen invited public input on the plan from Commonwealth Alternative Care at a June 27 meeting at Frothingham Hall. The company is asking the board for a letter of support or non-opposition to build a medical marijuana cultivation facility in Easton.
After an hour of discussion, selectmen said they should make a decision by July 11.
In the meantime these were some of the most common and talked about concerns the public brought forward in the meeting and the answers from Commonwealth.
Selectmen ask that if people still have comments or questions or want to acknowledge their support or opposition for a cultivation center in Easton to email selectmen@easton.ma.us
1 The smell
People who live near by the proposed cultivation center and business owners in the industrial park asked if the smell of marijuana would surround the area.
John Greene, director of community development at Commonwealth, described the building's layout as a "box inside a box."
"The technologies we are using in our carbon system are air scrubbers," Greene said. The plants will be located in the "inner box." The air in that area will be thoroughly filtered before moving to the secondary system (second box). The air will be filtered again in the secondary system before it is released outside.
Greene said Commonwealth chose a raw plot of land, and not an existing building, is so that they could build the structure exactly the way they want to.
"There will be no smell emitted if built right," Greene said.
2 Theft: money and marijuana
Several people expressed concerns about the crime that may follow the marijuana. What would be the likeliness of the center being robbed? Is it possible that employees could steal the plants?
"This is purely a cultivation and process site. There will be no cash there," said Dan Delaney, Commonwealth chief executive officer, at the previous meeting. He said problems such as theft mainly happen at retail sites. "There will not be foot traffic and no access to the general public at the cultivation site."
The site will have security cameras in all corners, with 24/7 video surveillance. Only employees will have access using state-issued key cards.
Delaney also has said they would consider giving the Easton police full access to the cameras so they can watch the activities in the center in real time, also allowing the police to respond quickly if there is an emergency.
As for employees stealing, Delaney said first and foremost backgrounds of employees will be thoroughly checked and Commonwealth will administer random drug tests.
While Commonwealth stated they would not tolerate employee drug use they were unclear whether people who have medical marijuana cards could work there.
The marijuana plants will also have a seed to soil tracking system, said Greene. Once a seed is planted it will be tracked all the way to when it is sold. Saying that if a plant disappears they will know.
3 Impact on youth
One of the biggest concerns raised was the impact a cultivation center in town would have on the youth.
"If the town lets this cultivation center open what is the message the town is sending to the youth? That the money is more important," said Kristin Harrison, an Easton resident and nurse.
As a nurse Harrison said she sees a lot of people come in who have addictions or have faced them. When she asks how they started on the addiction path, "95 percent of the time they say they started with alcohol or marijuana."
In 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services conducted a survey and found that 43 percent of high school students in Massachusetts said they used marijuana one or more times in their life. Massachusetts was 3 percent higher than the national average that year.
Patients, with a medical marijuana card must be 21-years-old, Greene said.
Easton resident Stephanie Patton, a substance abuse prevention coordinator in Stoughton, said she believed dispensaries would work to keep kids from purchasing marijuana.
"But look at liquor stores," she said. "Kids can't buy alcohol there but most often they get access by someone making a legal purchase."
Greene took examples from other communities including Colorado where crime rate decreased after legalizing marijuana. He said youth marijuana use, was down in some Colorado communities while other communities that banned marijuana all together saw marijuana use rise above the national average.
If there was a cultivation center in Easton, Green said the company would donate $25,000 to youth addiction prevention and drug abuse treatment programs.
4 Dispensary locations
While there will be no Commonwealth dispensaries located in Easton (dispensaries will be located in Cambridge, Brockton and Taunton) people expressed their concern what the medical marijuana could do the towns where dispensaries are located.
"My concern is that Easton is becoming a supplier to dispensaries in Brockton and Taunton which are poorer communities with drug problems," said Easton resident Amy McMannis. "We would be cultivating for people and places where it (marijuana) is being abused."
"This is for medical use and this has been done very very well. This is medicine. This is helping a lot of people," said Greene.
Medical marijuana is prescribed to patients with "debilitating medical conditions" such as cancer, Parkinson's disease, ALS and HIV/AIDS. It is also prescribed to patients with conditions such as chronic pain, anxiety, depression and anorexia.
Medical marijuana cards are written by licensed doctors but also must be approved by the state.
"Although it is an extremely lucrative business, with the fees being given to the town, does that outweigh potential societal problem that I don't think were ready for?" asked McMannis.
Greene compared marijuana to Prohibition saying that during the ban on alcohol in the 1930s more people were trying to illegally obtain alcohol, which in turn caused more crime.
Greene said he believes people are less likely to turn to the black market to buy marijuana if it is regulated.
"If you knew the company was supplying to dispensaries and it was having a negative impact to that area, I would like to think you would take a stance on it," said McMannis to Commonwealth.
"If we found that the medical marijuana dispensary was producing negative impact in those communities we would take steps to address it," Greene said.
5 Recreational use
Recreational marijuana is currently not allowed in Massachusetts, but is allowed in four states and Washington D.C. People asked if Massachusetts did pass recreational marijuana if Commonwealth would still only supply for medicinal purposes.
Delaney said while he supports medical marijuana he strongly opposes the recreational use of marijuana.
However if recreational use in Massachusetts is passed, Commonwealth said that would have to be a discussion for the future.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 5 Things To Know About Proposed Marijuana Cultivation Center
Author: Sara Cline
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Wicked Local
