BERNARDSTON — The Heirloom Collective is seeking to expand into the recreational marijuana market.
The marijuana grower, located just outside central Bernardston on Route 10, was originally only licesnsed to supply to medical dispensaries. But since August, the company has been in discussions with the Selectboard about supplying to retailers selling for recreational use, as well.
The change would require a new license from the state, but first the company needs an updated host agreement with the town. The company is negotiating the terms of the new agreement with the Selectboard, with a meeting planned for 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
“We feel like we’re pretty close to agreeing to something,” said Jim Counihan, CEO of the Heirloom Collective.
Although the company hopes to eventually expand its facility, Counihan said, it has no plans to do so yet. The current facility is equipped to grow for both uses.
At a special town meeting in November, Bernardston voted to allow the Heirloom Collective a simplified legal avenue for expanding its facility as the company grows, although the decision ultimately has to be approved by the state legislature.
Technically, the decision the town made was to exempt the Heirloom Collective from the state’s classification of marijuana cultivation as a non-agriculutral business. This is done through a “home-rule petition,” which is forwarded to the state legislature, and then treated as a bill. Counihan said that state Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, filed the petition on Friday.
If it passes, it will allow the Heirloom Collective to build greenhouses and other agricultural structures through the same process that farmers go through.
Contact Max Marcus at mmarcus@recorder.com or 413-772-0261 ex 261.