Truth Seeker
New Member
John Hillier says his effort to open a medical-marijuana dispensary in Ayer stems from his desire to help people with debilitating medical conditions get the treatment they need.
In previous years, those in the state seeking marijuana as a remedy for their medical issues were breaking the law.
But now that Massachusetts has legalized medicinal marijuana through a ballot question approved in November, Hillier says he wants to be part of assisting those people who have tried other medications for their ailments without success.
"It is really all about the medical need of the patients," Hillier, 49, told The Sun's editorial board in a meeting Thursday. "I feel what we are trying to do is very important."
The type of patients Hillier hopes to serve would include those suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Hillier, who has lived in neighboring Shirley for 20 years, says he thinks he has found a great spot for the proposed dispensary. He would like to open a dispensary at 31 Central Ave., a building he owns and that used to be home to a laundry company.
The building is near the downtown and has commuter-rail access for those not traveling by car. The site is in a general business zoning district.
Hillier says he envisions a dispensary at the site serving Ayer residents, as well as those from surrounding towns. Patients must be certified by their physician to be able to purchase medical marijuana.
"I think this is a model that could be done on a small scale," said Hillier.
The state is requiring all the dispensaries to be run by nonprofits, and Hillier has already formed one, Central Ave Compassionate Care. The nonprofit could seek to operate one of the 35 dispensaries the Department of Public Health could initially issue licenses to under the new law.
Hillier, who owns the plant-care company Turf-Logic, says the facility would be staffed by 12 people with backgrounds in the medical and security fields, as well as other fields. He hopes to grow the medical marijuana on the site.
Hillier says the state has yet to finalize the applications potential applicants will have to fill out. Before Hillier moves forward, he hopes to secure the support of the Ayer community.
He said his nonprofit has already been trying to educate others about what a medical-marijuana facility in Ayer would be like. As part of those efforts, he plans to host an open house on Wednesday afternoon.
"I want to work with the town and the residents to answer their questions," Hillier said. "I don't want to operate the facility in a community that does not want it."
Hillier recently went before the Ayer Board of Selectmen, which gave him time to make a 10-minute presentation. The board plans to discuss the issue further.
Selectmen James Fay and Pauline Conley did not respond to requests for comment. The Planning Board is also expected to discuss a potential medical-marijuana dispensary in town in the near future.
Attorney General Martha Coakley has issued a ruling that towns cannot ban medical-marijuana treatment facilities, but can impose zoning restrictions.
The topic of where medical-marijuana facilities should be located could surface in Lowell again soon.
Assistant City Manager Adam Baacke sent the City Council a recent memo saying the city has been contacted by one company that is exploring potential locations for a medical-marijuana dispensary.
"Up to five facilities may ultimately be located in Middlesex County and it appears that Lowell is a potentially attractive location for proponents of this industry," Baacke wrote in the memo.
Baacke did not identify the company in the memo or in an interview with The Sun, but said he has scheduled a meeting in June with company officials.
He told The Sun the company is trying to find out what regulations different communities have in place concerning medical-marijuana facilities.
"I'm interested in learning from them about the nature of these facilities," said Baacke.
Baacke has encouraged the City Council's zoning subcommittee to schedule a meeting on a proposed zoning amendment the council considered that would allow medical-marijuana dispensaries by special permit in light-industrial and high-rise commercial-zoning districts.
The amendment would also prohibit the dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of an educational institution or a public library.
The council held a public hearing on the zoning amendment in February, but referred it to its zoning subcommittee for further discussion. No meeting has been held on the topic since.
Councilor Bill Martin, a member of the zoning subcommittee, said a meeting of the panel has been scheduled for late June.
"I think we do need to restrict these facilities to certain areas as opposed to allowing people to put them wherever they want," Martin said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: lowellsun.com
Author: Lyle Moran
Contact: Contact Us - Lowell Sun Online
Website: Plan calls for Ayer medical-marijuana dispensary (VIDEO) - Lowell Sun Online
In previous years, those in the state seeking marijuana as a remedy for their medical issues were breaking the law.
But now that Massachusetts has legalized medicinal marijuana through a ballot question approved in November, Hillier says he wants to be part of assisting those people who have tried other medications for their ailments without success.
"It is really all about the medical need of the patients," Hillier, 49, told The Sun's editorial board in a meeting Thursday. "I feel what we are trying to do is very important."
The type of patients Hillier hopes to serve would include those suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS), cancer, multiple sclerosis, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Hillier, who has lived in neighboring Shirley for 20 years, says he thinks he has found a great spot for the proposed dispensary. He would like to open a dispensary at 31 Central Ave., a building he owns and that used to be home to a laundry company.
The building is near the downtown and has commuter-rail access for those not traveling by car. The site is in a general business zoning district.
Hillier says he envisions a dispensary at the site serving Ayer residents, as well as those from surrounding towns. Patients must be certified by their physician to be able to purchase medical marijuana.
"I think this is a model that could be done on a small scale," said Hillier.
The state is requiring all the dispensaries to be run by nonprofits, and Hillier has already formed one, Central Ave Compassionate Care. The nonprofit could seek to operate one of the 35 dispensaries the Department of Public Health could initially issue licenses to under the new law.
Hillier, who owns the plant-care company Turf-Logic, says the facility would be staffed by 12 people with backgrounds in the medical and security fields, as well as other fields. He hopes to grow the medical marijuana on the site.
Hillier says the state has yet to finalize the applications potential applicants will have to fill out. Before Hillier moves forward, he hopes to secure the support of the Ayer community.
He said his nonprofit has already been trying to educate others about what a medical-marijuana facility in Ayer would be like. As part of those efforts, he plans to host an open house on Wednesday afternoon.
"I want to work with the town and the residents to answer their questions," Hillier said. "I don't want to operate the facility in a community that does not want it."
Hillier recently went before the Ayer Board of Selectmen, which gave him time to make a 10-minute presentation. The board plans to discuss the issue further.
Selectmen James Fay and Pauline Conley did not respond to requests for comment. The Planning Board is also expected to discuss a potential medical-marijuana dispensary in town in the near future.
Attorney General Martha Coakley has issued a ruling that towns cannot ban medical-marijuana treatment facilities, but can impose zoning restrictions.
The topic of where medical-marijuana facilities should be located could surface in Lowell again soon.
Assistant City Manager Adam Baacke sent the City Council a recent memo saying the city has been contacted by one company that is exploring potential locations for a medical-marijuana dispensary.
"Up to five facilities may ultimately be located in Middlesex County and it appears that Lowell is a potentially attractive location for proponents of this industry," Baacke wrote in the memo.
Baacke did not identify the company in the memo or in an interview with The Sun, but said he has scheduled a meeting in June with company officials.
He told The Sun the company is trying to find out what regulations different communities have in place concerning medical-marijuana facilities.
"I'm interested in learning from them about the nature of these facilities," said Baacke.
Baacke has encouraged the City Council's zoning subcommittee to schedule a meeting on a proposed zoning amendment the council considered that would allow medical-marijuana dispensaries by special permit in light-industrial and high-rise commercial-zoning districts.
The amendment would also prohibit the dispensaries from being within 1,000 feet of an educational institution or a public library.
The council held a public hearing on the zoning amendment in February, but referred it to its zoning subcommittee for further discussion. No meeting has been held on the topic since.
Councilor Bill Martin, a member of the zoning subcommittee, said a meeting of the panel has been scheduled for late June.
"I think we do need to restrict these facilities to certain areas as opposed to allowing people to put them wherever they want," Martin said.
News Hawk- Truth Seeker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Source: lowellsun.com
Author: Lyle Moran
Contact: Contact Us - Lowell Sun Online
Website: Plan calls for Ayer medical-marijuana dispensary (VIDEO) - Lowell Sun Online
