GREENFIELD — While medical marijuana sales are planned in Greenfield, recreational marijuana sales may not be too far behind.
Patriot Care Corporation will be holding a community meeting for residents March 26 at the John Zon Community Center to discuss the potential addition of recreational marijuana to its planned medical marijuana sales site on Legion Avenue. The meeting comes less than a month before the medical pot dispensary is expected to open in the former American Legion building, though several months before recreational marijuana can be sold legally in the state.
“This is an opportunity for us to be able to invite the community to the senior center to let them know exactly what we’re doing, and to ask any questions they might have and how it might work in Greenfield,” Dennis Kunian, spokesman for Patriot Care, said.
The Legion Avenue location is expected to open its doors in mid-April, Kunian said, which is a delay from its previously expected opening this month. The location has seen several delays to its opening since Patriot Care was first granted a special permit in March 2015.
To buy medical marijuana at the location will require appropriate state-issued identification cards.
In addition to medical sales, Kunian said Patriot Care is looking to add the recreational sales to the location once the state formally allows it, which is tentatively expected July 1. The state law allowing recreational pot gives initial preference to medical pot dispensaries, which have already passed state vetting procedures.
The state’s Cannabis Control Commission approved the final regulations for recreational sales last week. The regulations are now awaiting approval from the Massachusetts secretary of state.
Kunian said the location would only add the sale of recreational marijuana and not a cafe, noting that a cafe is not part of Patriot Care’s business plan. He also said the addition of recreational marijuana sales was not part of the company’s plans for the site when it began its efforts in Greenfield.
According to Kunian, the sale of medical and recreational marijuana would be separate at the site, and that Patriot Care must wait until at least July 1 before it can determine further plans.
Kunian said the company still has several steps to take at state and city levels before it is able to sell recreational marijuana in Greenfield. Because the regulations have not been certified by the secretary of state it is unclear exactly what is needed, he noted.
At the state level, Kunian said the company must submit an application to sell recreational marijuana between April 1 and 15, as well as hold a community meeting before April 1. The company must also pass a background check as part of state and zoning requirements, he said.
At the city level, Kunian said Patriot Care is still waiting for Greenfield’s regulations on recreational marijuana to be finalized, so any additional steps that need to be taken by the company are unclear at present. The Greenfield Planning Board is expected to discuss a proposed zoning amendment modifying the city’s medical marijuana dispensaries ordinance to address all registered marijuana establishments Thursday, according to the city’s website.
Previously, Patriot Care and Greenfield completed a host agreement where the company promised to contribute $10,000 to the Greenfield Education Foundation, as well as pay $25,000 a year to the city in lieu of taxes. Half of the $25,000 total is expected to go toward supporting a number of local community efforts.
Kunian said repeatedly that the addition of recreational marijuana would not affect Patriot Care’s mission to serve patients who have conditions that the state allows to be treated with marijuana.
“We will, no matter what, look to treat patients that can benefit from using our product,” he said.
Kunian though, was uncertain what effect the sales of recreational marijuana could have on the medical marijuana sales.
The community meeting at the John Zon Center is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.
You can reach Dan Desrochers at:
ddesrochers@recorder.com
413-772-0261, ext. 257