Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
A second medical marijuana dispensary in Brockton got a green light from the city on Tuesday.
The Brockton Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-1 to grant permission to Commonwealth Alternative Care to open a medical marijuana dispensary in a 6,600-square-foot building at 1090 W. Chestnut St. that's currently occupied by a storefront church. The Cambridge-based marijuana organization sought a variance for the proposed dispensary because, while it is located in the city's medical marijuana overlay district, it is very close to an early childhood program at South Bay Community Services.
John Greene, the community development director for Commonwealth Alternative Care, would help make medical marijuana more affordable in the Brockton area by bringing the competition into check. The proposed Commonwealth Alternative Care site in Brockton would be located about 1,000 feet from In Good Health, which opened at 1200 W. Chestnut St. in September 2015.
"People are paying a higher price than probably they should for a product like this," said the aptly named Greene, who is a nutritional consultant and a Plymouth native. "With our efficiency, we are going to be creating some honesty with our competition."
Greene, who has been pursuing a medical marijuana dispensary in Brockton since 2013, was elated when the vote was finally taken around midnight after a nearly five-hour meeting Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Tuesday. Greene was seen hugging members of the Brockton City Council, a state representative and other stakeholders following the meeting.
"It's been a long road," Greene said. "This is a huge victory for us. ... I made a lot of friends over this process ... It's a good community to be in. ... It's an emotional time. Getting one of these licenses is difficult. It's not just getting an license, it's getting a community to endorse you."
The only member of the zoning board that voted against the variance was Gary Keith, who is a candidate for councilor-at-large in this year's citywide election.
No members of the public spoke against the medical marijuana facility when invited during the hearing.
Commonwealth Alternative Care, which already has a provisional certificate from the state to open a dispensary in Brockton, will be growing its marijuana at a facility near the Silver City Galleria mall in Taunton. The company is also opening a dispensary in Cambridge. The Taunton and Brockton sites are both located right off of Route 24.
The new Brockton dispensary is targeting January 2018 for its opening date.
Greene said that setting up the grow facility in Taunton will take the longest to accomplish, rather than setting up the dispensary in Brockton. Marijuana plants will go in the ground in the early to late fall, Greene said.
In addition to providing lower prices, Greene said his company would also increase local competition by providing a much larger variety of medical marijuana products, including those that do not create the strong sensations of euphoria typically associated with the green, leafy substance.
"We're trying to focus our efforts on products that are non-euphoric, that are non-smokable," Greene said. "Not a lot of dispensaries right now are focusing on those products. We'll be providing an array of products, some forms that have THC, some forms that don't, and about 50 shades of gray in between."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana dispensary gets green light in Brockton - News - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA
Author: Marc Larocque
Contact: Contact Us - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA
Photo Credit: AP
Website: The Enterprise, Brockton, MA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Brockton, MA
The Brockton Zoning Board of Appeals voted 4-1 to grant permission to Commonwealth Alternative Care to open a medical marijuana dispensary in a 6,600-square-foot building at 1090 W. Chestnut St. that's currently occupied by a storefront church. The Cambridge-based marijuana organization sought a variance for the proposed dispensary because, while it is located in the city's medical marijuana overlay district, it is very close to an early childhood program at South Bay Community Services.
John Greene, the community development director for Commonwealth Alternative Care, would help make medical marijuana more affordable in the Brockton area by bringing the competition into check. The proposed Commonwealth Alternative Care site in Brockton would be located about 1,000 feet from In Good Health, which opened at 1200 W. Chestnut St. in September 2015.
"People are paying a higher price than probably they should for a product like this," said the aptly named Greene, who is a nutritional consultant and a Plymouth native. "With our efficiency, we are going to be creating some honesty with our competition."
Greene, who has been pursuing a medical marijuana dispensary in Brockton since 2013, was elated when the vote was finally taken around midnight after a nearly five-hour meeting Zoning Board of Appeals meeting on Tuesday. Greene was seen hugging members of the Brockton City Council, a state representative and other stakeholders following the meeting.
"It's been a long road," Greene said. "This is a huge victory for us. ... I made a lot of friends over this process ... It's a good community to be in. ... It's an emotional time. Getting one of these licenses is difficult. It's not just getting an license, it's getting a community to endorse you."
The only member of the zoning board that voted against the variance was Gary Keith, who is a candidate for councilor-at-large in this year's citywide election.
No members of the public spoke against the medical marijuana facility when invited during the hearing.
Commonwealth Alternative Care, which already has a provisional certificate from the state to open a dispensary in Brockton, will be growing its marijuana at a facility near the Silver City Galleria mall in Taunton. The company is also opening a dispensary in Cambridge. The Taunton and Brockton sites are both located right off of Route 24.
The new Brockton dispensary is targeting January 2018 for its opening date.
Greene said that setting up the grow facility in Taunton will take the longest to accomplish, rather than setting up the dispensary in Brockton. Marijuana plants will go in the ground in the early to late fall, Greene said.
In addition to providing lower prices, Greene said his company would also increase local competition by providing a much larger variety of medical marijuana products, including those that do not create the strong sensations of euphoria typically associated with the green, leafy substance.
"We're trying to focus our efforts on products that are non-euphoric, that are non-smokable," Greene said. "Not a lot of dispensaries right now are focusing on those products. We'll be providing an array of products, some forms that have THC, some forms that don't, and about 50 shades of gray in between."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Marijuana dispensary gets green light in Brockton - News - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA
Author: Marc Larocque
Contact: Contact Us - The Enterprise, Brockton, MA - Brockton, MA
Photo Credit: AP
Website: The Enterprise, Brockton, MA: Local & World News, Sports & Entertainment in Brockton, MA
