Marijuana retailer gets host community agreement from Select Board
Dartmouth may soon have another cannabis store, and close to the existing Solar Cannabis.
The Select Board unanimously approved a host community agreement for Megan’s Organic Market, a marijuana company based in San Luis Obispo, California. The new location would be on Faunce Corner Road, near UMass Law School, and is within the town’s marijuana overlay district.
A host community agreement establishes rules and fees for marijuana distributors to do business in town. The agreement with Megan’s Organic Market would require a fee of 3% of gross sales be paid to the town annually, along with an annual gift of $50,000 for community benefits. Megan’s also needs to have a staff hiring preference for Dartmouth residents.
After new state legislation last fall, all host community agreements need to be reviewed by the Cannabis Control Commission. The company already received approval from the planning board, and held a public outreach meeting about the new location.
Megan’s Organic Market is not a franchise, but they typically work with local partners when establishing a new location, said Chief Operating Officer Nick Andre.
The brand is also in the process of opening a location in Rochester.
Although multiple marijuana stores are in the development process in Dartmouth, only one store has opened its doors. Select Board Member Heidi Silvia Brooks said another location would allow customers to have increased choice to meet their shopping preferences, similar to the choice of grocery stores around town.
Select Board Chair David Tatelbaum said he was interested in getting an update soon on the status of all the cannabis businesses currently in development around town.