Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Deerfield - The town of Deerfield may be one step closer to getting its own medical marijuana dispensary.
New England Patient Network has submitted a preliminary site plan to the Deerfield Planning Board, according to town officials. The matter was discussed at the board's Jan. 3 meeting. The plan would expand and renovate an existing house at 4 Greenfield Road (Routes 5 and 10) to create a 2,000 square-foot retail outlet.
Under a host community agreement, Deerfield will receive a one-time payment of $50,000 and 2 percent of the gross annual revenues for the first two years, with an increase to 3 percent for the third year.
Questions still remain about where the marijuana will be grown, but the cultivation facility will be located in Deerfield, said Valerio Romano, a lawyer for New England Patient Network.
The company had previously hoped to open a facility at the adjacent Atlantic Furniture factory at 10 Greenfield Road, but changed its plans.
New England Patient Network, based in East Boston, is a reconfiguration of J.M. Farm's Patient Group. In 2014, J.M. Farms failed to get a license from the state's Department of Public Health. One of the principals, Whately potato farmer James Pasiecnik, was facing criminal charges. Acting upon DPH advice, the company cut ties with Pasiecnik, but its application was still rejected. The company then unsuccessfully sued the state in Suffolk Superior Court, claiming the application process was arbitrary.
New England Patient Network applied again in 2015 under the state's new streamlined process. The company, which also plans a dispensary in the city of Lynn, received its Provisional Certificate of Registration on Sept. 27.
According to state records, Julius Sokol, a Boston lawyer and real estate investor, is CEO of New England Patient Network. Dennis DePaolo, prominent in Maine marijuana-growing circles, is listed as director of cultivation. Mark DeJackome, a former police chief in Shelburne, is poised to become director of security.
Accountant Arthur Sandberg is chief financial officer, and Michael Bennet, described as co-manager of a Boston entertainment venue, is chief operating officer. Harvard Medical School professor Joseph Thakuria will be chief medical officer.
Nicholas Spagnola of Brighton was founder of J.M. Farms. He is now one of three corporate directors of New England Patient Network Inc. Also on the corporate board are Sokol and Bennet.
No action was taken at the Jan. 3 Planning Board meeting in Deerfield. The board meets again in February. The proposed site is zoned Industrial and part of the town's medical marijuana overlay zoning district, formed in 2013.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Dispensary Application Before Deerfield Planning Board
Author: Mary Serreze
Contact: MassLive
Photo Credit: Mary Serreze
Website: MassLive
New England Patient Network has submitted a preliminary site plan to the Deerfield Planning Board, according to town officials. The matter was discussed at the board's Jan. 3 meeting. The plan would expand and renovate an existing house at 4 Greenfield Road (Routes 5 and 10) to create a 2,000 square-foot retail outlet.
Under a host community agreement, Deerfield will receive a one-time payment of $50,000 and 2 percent of the gross annual revenues for the first two years, with an increase to 3 percent for the third year.
Questions still remain about where the marijuana will be grown, but the cultivation facility will be located in Deerfield, said Valerio Romano, a lawyer for New England Patient Network.
The company had previously hoped to open a facility at the adjacent Atlantic Furniture factory at 10 Greenfield Road, but changed its plans.
New England Patient Network, based in East Boston, is a reconfiguration of J.M. Farm's Patient Group. In 2014, J.M. Farms failed to get a license from the state's Department of Public Health. One of the principals, Whately potato farmer James Pasiecnik, was facing criminal charges. Acting upon DPH advice, the company cut ties with Pasiecnik, but its application was still rejected. The company then unsuccessfully sued the state in Suffolk Superior Court, claiming the application process was arbitrary.
New England Patient Network applied again in 2015 under the state's new streamlined process. The company, which also plans a dispensary in the city of Lynn, received its Provisional Certificate of Registration on Sept. 27.
According to state records, Julius Sokol, a Boston lawyer and real estate investor, is CEO of New England Patient Network. Dennis DePaolo, prominent in Maine marijuana-growing circles, is listed as director of cultivation. Mark DeJackome, a former police chief in Shelburne, is poised to become director of security.
Accountant Arthur Sandberg is chief financial officer, and Michael Bennet, described as co-manager of a Boston entertainment venue, is chief operating officer. Harvard Medical School professor Joseph Thakuria will be chief medical officer.
Nicholas Spagnola of Brighton was founder of J.M. Farms. He is now one of three corporate directors of New England Patient Network Inc. Also on the corporate board are Sokol and Bennet.
No action was taken at the Jan. 3 Planning Board meeting in Deerfield. The board meets again in February. The proposed site is zoned Industrial and part of the town's medical marijuana overlay zoning district, formed in 2013.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Dispensary Application Before Deerfield Planning Board
Author: Mary Serreze
Contact: MassLive
Photo Credit: Mary Serreze
Website: MassLive
