by BRIAN CRANDALL, NBC 10 NEWS Wednesday, October 10th 2018
As Massachusetts is on the verge of allowing retail marijuana dispensaries to open, including one in Fall River, the city of New Bedford is now about to open its application process for recreational shops.
Applications are available starting October 29.
Nicholas Gomes and Joshua Craig are among those who want to open a retail dispensary in the city, with their business Old Soul Gardens.
“What we are hoping is to be part of the movement in society towards accepting cannabis so it can be consumed in a safe, responsible manner,” Gomes told NBC 10 News Wednesday.
But opening a recreational marijuana store isn’t just about planting some seeds.
“It’s a process that is lengthy but I’m kind of glad that it is because it allows us to take our time and really cross our T’s and dot our I’s and make sure we’re going about this the right way for the city and ourselves,” Craig said.
“If you believe the rumors, there’s a line of people waiting to come in,” said New Bedford Assistant City Solicitor Blair Bailey.
He said the city’s application is to make sure people who want to sell cannabis are viable.
They also have to go through the state’s application process at the same time.
“The process is lengthy and it’s involved, so it’s definitely going to weed out some people who might be interested,” Bailey told NBC 10.
Under state rules, the host community can charge a three percent tax and negotiate with the business on things like payments to charities and hiring local workers.
“There’s other concerns that could come up with where one of these establishments is located, impact on the community, security, traffic,” Bailey said. “There’s a lot of things that go into it.”
There’s no timetable on how long the application process will take.