GREENFIELD — As the state works through the process of approving companies to sell recreational marijuana, the city is receiving interest from several entities looking to sell.
Seven companies proposed combination recreational and medical marijuana facilities in Greenfield, said Mayor William Martin. Two in particular are closer than the rest, with one selling as soon as next month, according to Martin.
Martin said Patriot Care Corp. on Legion Avenue could become the first recreational marijuana retailer in the city, as long as the rest of the permitting process goes as planned.
Patriot Care is the only company listed by the Cannabis Control Commission to have reportedly submitted all of the required packets to Greenfield.
Martin said the company, which already offers medical marijuana in Greenfield, has gone through most of the steps. These include finding a site, entering a community host agreement, which companies must reach with the city and are required by state regulations, and receiving a letter of non-opposition from the city.
Greenfield Director of Planning Eric Twarog said Patriot Care is next expected to have a hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals in July or August, which would give the company an opportunity to receive a special permit for recreational marijuana — a crucial step in Greenfield’s zoning ordinance.
From there, Patriot Care would then have to get final approval from the Cannabis Control Commission, Twarog said. An OK from the state Department of Health would also be necessary, Martin said.
The mayor said the entire process for Patriot Care could conclude by the end of July or August.
A second company making strides toward being one of the city’s first recreational marijuana facilities is Herbology, Group Inc., a Massachusetts company. The company has proposed a site at 8 Woodard Road.
Twarog said he has recently scheduled a technical review group meeting, which is an optional, non-public meeting where plans are reviewed by developers and city officials before the formal permitting process begins.
Other steps the company needs to take include entering a community host agreement with Greenfield, holding a public forum regarding a business plan and receiving a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, Martin said. Herbology, Group Inc. is the only company other than Patriot Care to receive a letter of non-opposition from the city.
Twarog said a year could go by before the company is ready to sell in Greenfield since it would need to construct a new building at the Woodard Road property in addition to going through the rest of the process.
Of the remaining five companies that have expressed interest in retail sales in Greenfield, Martin said the majority have submitted letters of intent to come to the city and have eyed sites for development.
Silver Therapeutics Inc. and Commonwealth Alternative Care Inc., both Massachusetts companies, are jointly looking into the former World Eye Bookshop on Main Street and have submitted a letter of intent, Martin said.
True Nature’s Wellness Inc., another Massachusetts company, is looking into a site at 15 Arch St., and has submitted a letter of intent, Martin said.
Harvest Inc., a company from Arizona, is considering a location on Davis Street but have not submitted a letter of intent, Martin said.
Happy Valley Compassion Center Inc., a Massachusetts company, has expressed interest but has not chosen a potential site or submitted a letter of intent, Martin said.
Greenfield’s zoning ordinance on marijuana allows no more than eight recreational marijuana locations, and all must be at least 250 feet from schools grades kindergarten to 12.
The Board of Health also recently passed regulations expanding that buffer zone to 500 feet, though an error in the draft regulations made this applicable to only schools with kindergarten. The Board of Health is expected to make the change following a public hearing later this summer.
The zoning ordinance also includes limiting the zones where marijuana facilities can be located. Any kind of establishment, whether cultivation, recreational or medical, are not allowed in suburban residential, urban residential and semi-residential zones. Rural residential zones can have cultivation, though the sites must be less than 5,000 square feet.
Other zones in the city could have certain types of establishments within them, depending on the type and zone.
Any facility will have to receive a special permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals, in addition to a license from the state. Any sales location must also enter a host agreement with the city.