ATHOL — The founder of Elev8 Cannibis, 24-year-old Seun Adedeji, is planning to open a medical and recreational marijuana shop at 243 Main St., the former Mobil gas station across from the post office.
The site is being cleaned up and construction for the build-out started this week, he said, and he hopes to open the shop in early August.
The canopy is down, and the environmental sheds gone. The building permit has been secured and the owner has consulted with the Department of Environmental Protection.
“They’re trying to clean the site up,” said Town Counsel Shaun Suhoski. “We’ll have to see through the site plan process if there is sufficient parking and how the traffic might work there.”
Adedeji has scheduled a public meeting for Wednesday at 7:20 p.m. in the Athol Town Hall to apply for a license to use the location. He and his partner, Beau Green, originally from California, plan to open a farm in Massachusetts, and also buy cannabis from local farmers.
Adedeji, who grew up in Chicago, said at age 23 he was the youngest black dispensary owner in the United States. He has friends and family in Massachusetts and is looking to expand his business in Athol.
“We bring a lot of experience in the cannabis industry,” said Adedeji. “We have 30 years experience combined between us. Athol is doing amazing things and we would like to be a part of that, and elevate Athol together.”
Last Friday was the first day Massachusetts law allowed the Cannabis Control Commission to issue licenses to marijuana shops and other businesses allowed under the voter-approved law that legalized adult use of marijuana. Businesses also need approval from the town before the state awards a license.
Athol voters approved allowing recreational marijuana sales and use in a state election in 2016 and must allow a minimum of two dispensaries.
That number is calculated based on a percentage of the number of retail sales liquor licenses in town. The town has a quota limit of two permits for retail sales, but it is unclear whether those are for cultivation or wholesale processing only with no retail sales.
Athol voters also defined local zoning regulations at the spring town meeting. There have been two other outreach meetings held by entities interested in opening an establishment.
The town is aware that 1620 Labs had a hearing regarding interest in the former Agway property on South Street at the end of Exchange Street, and sent to the town a template of a host community agreement it would like to enter.
MassGrow held a community outreach meeting regarding the 360,000-square-foot L.P. Athol Corporation site, a former tool manufacturer, on Chestnut Hill Avenue. MassGrow is a Massachusetts investment group from the same referral consultant that met with the town last fall. It wants to proceed with a cultivation operation project at that site.
It was noted at a recent Selectboard meeting that statutory language has made things more complicated. There is a limit of 3 percent of gross sales in terms of a community impact fee, but the amount of gross sales is unknown. Town officials and town counsel are working on the cultivation and retail site issues.
Suhoski said, “We’re trying to determine still whether the board can select the best retail project versus the first two retail applications that come in, and whether the retail application locks in our quota.”
The town’s lawyer said, “There isn’t a great body of experience as to how were going to deal with this. After July 1, we may have a lot of other applicants. What’s been expected is it was going to be first one, first served type of thing. If someone comes in who doesn’t have a good application, you might deny it and not reach an agreement. It’s uncharted territory.”
Selectwoman Rebecca Bialecki said the person requesting the outreach meeting is responsible for the posting of the notice, not the town. One was held in the library and one in Memorial Hall.
Bialecki said, “My concern is that the intent is to get community input. And if there are things people would like to see, especially right on our Main Street, it would be nice if people knew about it to attend and could speak up.”
She asked about physical plant requirements by the state regarding double entry doors and security plans.
Suhoski said it’s called for in the zoning requirements. Locally, double access is required to ensure security and plans must be presented to the Planning Board.
Town lawyer John Barrett said he will review the regulations. He has also been working with Suhoski, looking at host community agreements to see what is best suited to Athol’s needs.
“We can expect the licenses to start issuing after July 1,” he said. “We’ll have something to recommend to selectmen before then.”
The next Selectboard meeting is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Town Hall on Main Street.