(Editor’s Note: Because of questions and concerns about the possibility of medical marijuana dispensaries coming to Westport, WestportNow offers the following Q&A to help clarify the issue.)
By James Lomuscio
Q: How many medical marijuana facilities are there in Connecticut?
In March, a large crowd was on hand for a P&Z meeting and discussion of medical marijuana dispensaries. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com
A: There are currently nine serving an estimated 26,000 patients with state authorized medical marijuana cards in Connecticut. The dispensaries are located in: Bethel, Branford, Bristol, Hartford, Milford, New London, South Windsor, Uncasville and Waterbury.
Q: Why are operators of medical marijuana dispensaries interested in Westport?
A: The P&Z on June 1, 2017 passed its own text amendment 735, which allows no more than two medical marijuana dispensaries in town. The decision came after a P&Z committee spent two years holding sparsely attended public hearings. The rationale for the amendment was that if the P&Z did not pass the regulation, the state could force such dispensaries on the town. The reason for two dispensaries was to minimize price fixing.
Q: Where could such a dispensary be located?
A: The regulation stipulates that it must be no less than 1,000 feet from a public building or area, including schools, houses of worship, municipal and state buildings and recreational areas. Currently, one of the applicants has a proposed text amendment 747 on file to clarify what qualifies as a public area or building. It aims to exempt a municipal, sewage pump station and a state Department of Transportation garage and sand-salt storage barn off the Sherwood island Connector.
Q: Who are the applicants and what locations are they interested in opening a dispensary?
A: Currently there are five applicants. One is Shoreline Alternative Care LLC’s which plans to open a dispensary on the second floor of 833 Post Road East, the site of the former Bertucci’s Restaurant. The company is owned by Philip Hein, a Weston resident who currently owns an alternative pharmacy at 1835 Post Road East.
The second applicant is New England Advanced Therapeutics, LLC’s with a proposal for dispensary at 1803 Post Road East.
The third, Acreage LLC interested in opening a retail dispensary at 1505 Post Road East. Acreage reportedly made a simultaneous application with Old Saybrook, which was approved by its Zoning Commission/
The fourth applicant is by Bluepoint Wellness of Westport, LLC, which proposes a dispensary at 1460 Post Road East, the former site of Coco Spa.
The fifth is FFD Westport LLC’s proposal for a medical marijuana facility at 345 Post Road West.
Q: Are these dispensary operators, as some residents have speculated, setting up the infrastructure for retail outlets if recreational marijuana should become legalized, as some in Hartford are suggesting to raise taxes?
A: Applicants have literally sworn at P&Z meetings that their facilities would be for medical marijuana only.
Q: What are the residents biggest concerns?
A: Neighborhood safety has been a key issue becuase the dispensaries must operate at cash-only businesses since marijuana is still listed as a controlled substance—and is illegal—at the federal level. The applicants have countered this argument by describing on-site security, lighting and limited hours of operation.
Q: What is the status of these applications?
A: The P&Z has closed hearings on all expect for the 345 Post Road West application. That hearing has been kept open until Thursday, June 7 by the request of FFD’s attorney. At the last P&Z meting a member of the public raised the issue that the proposed dispensary, the site of the Westport Academy of Dance, was less than 1,000 feet from the historic Samuel Platt Burial Ground, which zoning regulations list as recreational.
Q: When will the P&Z render a decision?
A: P&Z officials expect all of the applications to be decided upon in a work session scheduled for Thursday, June 14. At most, the P&Z could approve two of them. Or it could approve just one or none.
