Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Alternative Therapies Group Inc., which opened the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary in Salem, Massachusetts, in 2015, has been eyeing another dispensary in the Merrimack Valley for some time.
But after more than a year waiting on approvals from Methuen to bring its plans to fruition, the company has found a seemingly more welcome host in the city next door — Haverhill.
The company approached the Methuen City Council with its dispensary plans in November 2016. The application has languished there ever since, caught in a process that has operated in fits and starts, seen approvals granted and rescinded, and left three companies – ATG among them – in limbo.
Enter Haverhill.
In September, ATG pitched a dispensary to the Haverhill City Council. Last week, the council approved Mayor James Fiorentini signing a letter of non-opposition for ATG to move forward in Haverhill. Letters of support or non-opposition are required by the state Department of Public Health in order for a company move forward in the registered marijuana dispensary approval process.
As Haverhill paves the way for medical marijuana within its city limits, Methuen’s process for approving a facility has remained stalled since the summer. Officials said it will continue that way at least until the new mayor and city councilors come into power in January.
Company still considering Methuen
David Torrisi, attorney for Alternative Therapies Group, said last week that the company is still interested in working with Methuen. But after months of little to no communication from the city, and an application process with deadlines from the state that must be met, the company had to begin looking elsewhere, he said.
“We’re still interested in Methuen, obviously, but we have to keep on moving forward. You can’t just sit down and wait,” Torrisi said. “The Haverhill mayor and Haverhill City Council have been excellent to discuss this with and been open to the concept, and you saw that realized on Tuesday night (of last week).”
Three companies began approaching the Methuen mayor and City Council with pitches for medical marijuana dispensaries in late 2016. All of those companies – ATG, BeWell Organic Medicine Inc., and Natural Remedies Inc. – were granted letters of non-opposition.
But the process ground to a halt as city’s governing bodies rescinded their non-opposition in March amid a myriad of zoning issues and confusion.
Methuen restarted the process in May, inviting each of the three companies to submit new proposals and come in for presentations and interviews held in early June. A selection committee was supposed to pick one group to recommend to the City Council for a new letter of non-opposition that would potentially be issued in July.
That never happened, and the companies have remained in a holding pattern since. By late July, both BeWell Organic Medicine and Natural Remedies saw their applications expire with the state. To continue forward, they would have to go back to the beginning of the lengthy and costly application process and do it all over again.
BeWell appears to have submitted a new application of intent, received by the state on July 26. A spokesman for BeWell did not return a request for comment as of press time.
Mayor Stephen Zanni had considered sending out new letters to the three interested companies this fall to kick-start the local process once more, but ultimately decided to leave any decisions in the hands of the incoming mayor and councilors, who he said "can change things either way."
The outgoing mayor, who is finishing his third term in office, said he still believes the city "should definitely move forward with" medical marijuana, but wants to give the incoming officials time to adequately review the information and ever-changing regulations surrounding the marijuana industry.
“It was something to look at, but it’s close to the end. We held off for a period of time, rather than just trying to push something in at the last meeting. I didn’t think that was wise to do,” Zanni said.
New mayor cautious on issue
Methuen Mayor-elect James Jajuga said he has not yet discussed the city’s medical marijuana vetting process with either his predecessor or the new councilors, but that he intends to.
While he’s not sure of Methuen’s future with medical pot shops, he said he does know one thing.
“I’m not going to send letters out soliciting business,'' he said. "I don’t think that’s what we should be in the business of doing. If a company is satisfactorily registered with the state and they want to do business in Methuen, they can approach us and we’ll move from that point.''
Jajuga said he intends to approach the marijuana issue cautiously. While he supports cannabis for medical purposes, he is firmly against recreational sales of the drug. He was among the councilors who voted earlier this year to ban recreational pot establishments from opening in Methuen.
But Jajuga’s eyes – and those of countless other state officials – are trained on the state Cannabis Control Commission, which will be setting guidelines for the recreational marijuana industry next year. Those guidelines could still affect the medical marijuana industry, such as by allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreationally as well.
“I have to wait and see exactly if, number one, a company advances the issue and, number two, what the Cannabis Control Commission says in terms of their regulations,” Jajuga said.
Torrisi said he’s confident Jajuga will give medical marijuana “its due diligence” when he comes into office. Torrisi said Alternative Therapies Group will continue to keep an eye on how Methuen proceeds, as well as on the Cannabis Control Commission.
“I’m going to be very surprised if they jump right into it, and that’s just being fair,” Torrisi said of the incoming Methuen officials. “As a former local official, I can appreciate that they have a lot of things on their plate.”
But in the meantime, as Methuen officials dragged their feet, Haverhill “presented an opportunity" to proceed before the recreational use regulations were finalized.
“We haven’t heard anything (from Methuen) since the summer. It was time to turn the page,” Torrisi said, though, he added, “not close the book.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical pot decision moves to new Methuen leaders | Merrimack Valley | eagletribune.com
Author: Lisa Kashinsky
Contact: Contact Us | Site | eagletribune.com
Photo Credit: AP Photo
Website: eagletribune.com | News that hits home
But after more than a year waiting on approvals from Methuen to bring its plans to fruition, the company has found a seemingly more welcome host in the city next door — Haverhill.
The company approached the Methuen City Council with its dispensary plans in November 2016. The application has languished there ever since, caught in a process that has operated in fits and starts, seen approvals granted and rescinded, and left three companies – ATG among them – in limbo.
Enter Haverhill.
In September, ATG pitched a dispensary to the Haverhill City Council. Last week, the council approved Mayor James Fiorentini signing a letter of non-opposition for ATG to move forward in Haverhill. Letters of support or non-opposition are required by the state Department of Public Health in order for a company move forward in the registered marijuana dispensary approval process.
As Haverhill paves the way for medical marijuana within its city limits, Methuen’s process for approving a facility has remained stalled since the summer. Officials said it will continue that way at least until the new mayor and city councilors come into power in January.
Company still considering Methuen
David Torrisi, attorney for Alternative Therapies Group, said last week that the company is still interested in working with Methuen. But after months of little to no communication from the city, and an application process with deadlines from the state that must be met, the company had to begin looking elsewhere, he said.
“We’re still interested in Methuen, obviously, but we have to keep on moving forward. You can’t just sit down and wait,” Torrisi said. “The Haverhill mayor and Haverhill City Council have been excellent to discuss this with and been open to the concept, and you saw that realized on Tuesday night (of last week).”
Three companies began approaching the Methuen mayor and City Council with pitches for medical marijuana dispensaries in late 2016. All of those companies – ATG, BeWell Organic Medicine Inc., and Natural Remedies Inc. – were granted letters of non-opposition.
But the process ground to a halt as city’s governing bodies rescinded their non-opposition in March amid a myriad of zoning issues and confusion.
Methuen restarted the process in May, inviting each of the three companies to submit new proposals and come in for presentations and interviews held in early June. A selection committee was supposed to pick one group to recommend to the City Council for a new letter of non-opposition that would potentially be issued in July.
That never happened, and the companies have remained in a holding pattern since. By late July, both BeWell Organic Medicine and Natural Remedies saw their applications expire with the state. To continue forward, they would have to go back to the beginning of the lengthy and costly application process and do it all over again.
BeWell appears to have submitted a new application of intent, received by the state on July 26. A spokesman for BeWell did not return a request for comment as of press time.
Mayor Stephen Zanni had considered sending out new letters to the three interested companies this fall to kick-start the local process once more, but ultimately decided to leave any decisions in the hands of the incoming mayor and councilors, who he said "can change things either way."
The outgoing mayor, who is finishing his third term in office, said he still believes the city "should definitely move forward with" medical marijuana, but wants to give the incoming officials time to adequately review the information and ever-changing regulations surrounding the marijuana industry.
“It was something to look at, but it’s close to the end. We held off for a period of time, rather than just trying to push something in at the last meeting. I didn’t think that was wise to do,” Zanni said.
New mayor cautious on issue
Methuen Mayor-elect James Jajuga said he has not yet discussed the city’s medical marijuana vetting process with either his predecessor or the new councilors, but that he intends to.
While he’s not sure of Methuen’s future with medical pot shops, he said he does know one thing.
“I’m not going to send letters out soliciting business,'' he said. "I don’t think that’s what we should be in the business of doing. If a company is satisfactorily registered with the state and they want to do business in Methuen, they can approach us and we’ll move from that point.''
Jajuga said he intends to approach the marijuana issue cautiously. While he supports cannabis for medical purposes, he is firmly against recreational sales of the drug. He was among the councilors who voted earlier this year to ban recreational pot establishments from opening in Methuen.
But Jajuga’s eyes – and those of countless other state officials – are trained on the state Cannabis Control Commission, which will be setting guidelines for the recreational marijuana industry next year. Those guidelines could still affect the medical marijuana industry, such as by allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell recreationally as well.
“I have to wait and see exactly if, number one, a company advances the issue and, number two, what the Cannabis Control Commission says in terms of their regulations,” Jajuga said.
Torrisi said he’s confident Jajuga will give medical marijuana “its due diligence” when he comes into office. Torrisi said Alternative Therapies Group will continue to keep an eye on how Methuen proceeds, as well as on the Cannabis Control Commission.
“I’m going to be very surprised if they jump right into it, and that’s just being fair,” Torrisi said of the incoming Methuen officials. “As a former local official, I can appreciate that they have a lot of things on their plate.”
But in the meantime, as Methuen officials dragged their feet, Haverhill “presented an opportunity" to proceed before the recreational use regulations were finalized.
“We haven’t heard anything (from Methuen) since the summer. It was time to turn the page,” Torrisi said, though, he added, “not close the book.”
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical pot decision moves to new Methuen leaders | Merrimack Valley | eagletribune.com
Author: Lisa Kashinsky
Contact: Contact Us | Site | eagletribune.com
Photo Credit: AP Photo
Website: eagletribune.com | News that hits home
