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Date: 3/1/2018
AGAWAM – The town of Agawam has announced a host community agreement with the Debilitating Medical Condition Treatment Centers Inc. (DMCTC) to open a medical marijuana dispensary within the town.
The DMCTC, which is a non-profit entity run by local owners, plans to operate a cultivation space and a dispensary facility at 584 Meadow Street Extension – also known as the Herzenberg Building near the South End Rotary. The organization’s application with the Commonwealth initially listed Holyoke as the location of operation, but it has now been amended to change the location site to Agawam.
Mayor William Sapelli said the facility will provide additional tax revenues.
"This agreement provides additional monies to the town and enhances the town’s tax base. Also, our negotiations led to an increase in the annual payment that the town will receive,” he said. “It’s important – I’ve talked to several people that needed it [medical marijuana] for cancer patients with chemo, and they tell me it works for them. It makes things easier for them and takes away nausea and has a medicinally positive impact on them and their condition.”
Pain is the main reason people ask for a medical marijuana prescription. The plant can be used to treat headaches, cancer, or a long-term condition, like glaucoma or nerve pain. In states where medical marijuana is legal, a doctor may prescribe an individual a “marijuana card,” allowing them to buy marijuana from an authorized seller, called a dispensary. The dispensaries sell cannabis products that have not been approved by the Federal Drug Administration and are not legally registered with the federal government.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are designed to give patients a secure location to procure information and shop for cannabis to treat their ailments. Generally, they’re regulated and taxed differently than recreational cannabis outlets, which is why the prices of cannabis may vary between the two. The interior design of a medical dispensary is closer to a doctor’s office than a general storefront.
Some key information to know before entering a medical dispensary is:
• A doctor’s recommendation, medical cannabis certification and/or required state documents are needed upon entering
• A person must be 18 years or older to qualify for a medical authorization, but exceptions may be made in some states for minors with particularly debilitating conditions
• All patients seeking the services of the dispensary will have to register, in order to keep all documents on file for legal and regulatory purposes
• Medicinal dispensaries usually allow for the smelling and examining of the buds before purchase. This may very from state-to-state.
In Agawam, residents have had a positive reaction to the dispensary coming to town.
Kristin DiCioccio, of Agawam, wrote to Reminder Publications, “I couldn’t be happier that a tax-paying, needed business will be opening in Agawam. And taxes directly to the town is a bonus and sorely needed in Agawam for infrastructure needs. On the flip side, many medical patients who have needs for these types of medications can now buy locally and safely, a win win in my opinion. The location is ideal and will improve an eyesore of a building we’ve looked at long enough. I am extremely pleased our town officials are thinking progressively and moving Agawam forward, I hope to see recreational marijuana also benefit our town and the tax revenues continue to grow and fulfill our needs.”
While resident Chris Polek said, “As long as the proper safety of the marijuana growing operation was exercised, this is no different than any other business that would open its doors in our town. The tax agreement is beneficial for Agawam, and increased business tax revenue, as well as more jobs, is only a positive.”
Sapelli said he feels confident that the dispensary will operate in compliance with the appropriate standards and safety precautions. As part of the deal, DMCTC must work on a safety plan with Agawam police and pay real, personal and property taxes to the city.
Highlights of the agreement include:
1. DMCTC shall pay the Town every year 3 percent of its gross proceeds or $125,000, whichever is greater.
2. DMCTC is required to work with the Police Department on a safety plan at the facility
3. DMCTC is required to pay real, personal and property taxes even though it is a nonprofit entity
An initial agreement was reached between DMCTC representatives and the previous administration of Mayor Richard A. Cohen, who left office in January. Sapelli renewed negotiations with DMCTC and executed an amended agreement that calls for DMCTC to make an additional annual $25,000 payment to the Town upon the commencement of operations.
Sapelli said the town had previously voted against the possibility of recreational marijuana in Agawam, and wants to make clear that the DMCTC dispensary will strictly be medicinal.
“Medical marijuana was approved and legalized. The community didn’t have a say in that, but, what they did have a say in was recreational marijuana,” said Sapelli. “Agawam votes against it, and this is not – in any way, shape or form – the same thing. They are two separate entities, and this upcoming project only deals with medical marijuana.”
The mayor also said he plans to use the money from the dispensary to put toward public safety and gaining additional staff.
There is no set date as to when the dispensary plans to open.