Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
On the November ballot of this year, Massachusetts voters will be asked whether to allow the use, cultivation, possession and distribution of recreational marijuana for individuals at least 21 years old.
If the measure passes, a cultivation center proposed in Easton could grow marijuana for recreational as well as medicinal use.
The issue was raised Monday, July 25, as the Board of Selectmen discussed the host agreement being drafted between the town and Commonwealth Alternative Care, a medical marijuana business.
"The discussion at that time (about a month ago) focused pretty much exclusively on medical marijuana cultivation and now in process of negotiating community host agreement and the aspect of recreational has been introduced," selectmen Chairman Kevin McIntyre said.
Commonwealth Alternative Care plans on producing and dispensing medical marijuana in the form of pills, balms, patches, salves and more. Doctors may prescribe medical marijuana to alleviate side effects from chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS or treat chronic pain.
The company proposed building a medical marijuana cultivation center the Easton Industrial Park about six weeks ago. On July 11 selectmen voted 4-1 in favor of providing a letter of support for the project.
McIntyre, Selectman Carol Nestler and Town Administrator David Colton have been working on a host agreement between the town and Commonwealth.
Colton said the main things in the host agreement are a guarantee that there will never be a dispensary in Easton, the payment of taxes and the amount, and other financial incentives including money paid to the town and money to be given to programs to target drug prevention programs.
In previous meetings the main concerns brought up about the facility in Easton was the smell, crime and the impact on youth.
But with the possibility of recreational marijuana becoming legalized the selectmen discussed what this means for Commonwealth's facility in Easton.
"This being a very different element of their proposed business plan, it seemed if we signed a host agreement without the public being aware that it was going to include recreational cultivation that people would legitimately think we snuck in the back door way," McIntyre said. "We want to be transparent about this."
While the CEO of Commonwealth, Dan Delaney, strongly opposes recreational marijuana McIntyre explained it is a business and Commonwealth wants "to be on an even playing field" with other marijuana companies if recreational use is legalized.
"Their fear is they would invest all this money (for medical marijuana) and build a plant and when recreational marijuana becomes legal then the medical marijuana business will decline an they will never be able to recoup their investment," Colton said.
If Commonwealth receives its letter from Easton selectmen and later produces recreational marijuana, Colton said he believes the town would get more money from Commonwealth.
"There's just so much we don't know on what's going to happen and how they are going to structure it, it is hard to anticipate everything," he said. "Really the only thing we can anticipate if the agreement goes forward is that the town will get a much richer agreement if recreational goes forward."
By providing a letter of support for the cultivation facility, Commonwealth can submit their application to the Massachusetts Department of Health for a state medical marijuana dispensary and cultivation license.
In order to submit its application to the state Commonwealth required letters of support or non-opposition from the communities where dispensaries and the cultivation facility will be held. The company have already received letters of support/non-opposition from its three dispensary locations in Taunton, Brockton and Cambridge.
"One of the many moving parts of this is how do you structure an agreement that takes into account the legal environment today that does not allow the cultivation of recreational marijuana and the potential legal environment in the future that may allow it," Colton said. "So there are lots of moving parts there we are currently negotiating over and that's one of the reasons we don't have an agreement yet."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ballot Question May Impact Marijuana Center
Author: Sara Cline
Contact: 508-967-3510
Photo Credit: iStock
Website: Wicked Local Mansfield
If the measure passes, a cultivation center proposed in Easton could grow marijuana for recreational as well as medicinal use.
The issue was raised Monday, July 25, as the Board of Selectmen discussed the host agreement being drafted between the town and Commonwealth Alternative Care, a medical marijuana business.
"The discussion at that time (about a month ago) focused pretty much exclusively on medical marijuana cultivation and now in process of negotiating community host agreement and the aspect of recreational has been introduced," selectmen Chairman Kevin McIntyre said.
Commonwealth Alternative Care plans on producing and dispensing medical marijuana in the form of pills, balms, patches, salves and more. Doctors may prescribe medical marijuana to alleviate side effects from chemotherapy and HIV/AIDS or treat chronic pain.
The company proposed building a medical marijuana cultivation center the Easton Industrial Park about six weeks ago. On July 11 selectmen voted 4-1 in favor of providing a letter of support for the project.
McIntyre, Selectman Carol Nestler and Town Administrator David Colton have been working on a host agreement between the town and Commonwealth.
Colton said the main things in the host agreement are a guarantee that there will never be a dispensary in Easton, the payment of taxes and the amount, and other financial incentives including money paid to the town and money to be given to programs to target drug prevention programs.
In previous meetings the main concerns brought up about the facility in Easton was the smell, crime and the impact on youth.
But with the possibility of recreational marijuana becoming legalized the selectmen discussed what this means for Commonwealth's facility in Easton.
"This being a very different element of their proposed business plan, it seemed if we signed a host agreement without the public being aware that it was going to include recreational cultivation that people would legitimately think we snuck in the back door way," McIntyre said. "We want to be transparent about this."
While the CEO of Commonwealth, Dan Delaney, strongly opposes recreational marijuana McIntyre explained it is a business and Commonwealth wants "to be on an even playing field" with other marijuana companies if recreational use is legalized.
"Their fear is they would invest all this money (for medical marijuana) and build a plant and when recreational marijuana becomes legal then the medical marijuana business will decline an they will never be able to recoup their investment," Colton said.
If Commonwealth receives its letter from Easton selectmen and later produces recreational marijuana, Colton said he believes the town would get more money from Commonwealth.
"There's just so much we don't know on what's going to happen and how they are going to structure it, it is hard to anticipate everything," he said. "Really the only thing we can anticipate if the agreement goes forward is that the town will get a much richer agreement if recreational goes forward."
By providing a letter of support for the cultivation facility, Commonwealth can submit their application to the Massachusetts Department of Health for a state medical marijuana dispensary and cultivation license.
In order to submit its application to the state Commonwealth required letters of support or non-opposition from the communities where dispensaries and the cultivation facility will be held. The company have already received letters of support/non-opposition from its three dispensary locations in Taunton, Brockton and Cambridge.
"One of the many moving parts of this is how do you structure an agreement that takes into account the legal environment today that does not allow the cultivation of recreational marijuana and the potential legal environment in the future that may allow it," Colton said. "So there are lots of moving parts there we are currently negotiating over and that's one of the reasons we don't have an agreement yet."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Ballot Question May Impact Marijuana Center
Author: Sara Cline
Contact: 508-967-3510
Photo Credit: iStock
Website: Wicked Local Mansfield
