EASTHAMPTON — Easthampton medical marijuana dispensary INSA will hold a community outreach meeting Friday evening to give residents a chance to learn more about the dispensary’s application to cultivate cannabis and sell it for adult-use, as recreational cannabis becomes legal this summer.
The meeting is part of the dispensary’s application for a marijuana cultivation license and adult-use storefront marijuana retailer license. It will be held at 5:30 p.m. at the Zing! Table Tennis Center in the Keystone building at 122 Pleasant St.
According to a notice for the meeting, topics to be discussed include the type of adult-use marijuana establishment to be built at the proposed address, how the dispensary plans to stay secure and prevent its product from getting into the hands of minors, and INSA’s plan to positively impact the community.
The dispensary will also provide information to show that the new use of the building will not constitute a nuisance, as defined by law.
City Planner Jeffrey Bagg said it is a required community meeting that is not part of a municipal process and is intended by the state to help raise awareness of the new uses of the dispensary.
“This is an opportunity for residents to come hear about INSA’s plan to convert from a medical dispensary to an adult-use retail dispensary open to the general public,” Bagg said. “We are anticipating that several similar community outreach meetings will pop up over the coming weeks and months.”
After the meeting, Bagg said INSA can apply to begin the state licensing process through the Cannabis Control Commission. If the Easthampton City Council passes an Adult Use Cannabis Ordinance, as expected, a special permit and public hearing with the Planning Board would take place in the future.
Stephen Reilly, a lawyer for INSA, said there will be a question-and-answer session during Friday’s meeting where members of the public can talk with representatives from the dispensary about the proposal. The dispensary will also present information about security and the impact to the community of the proposed adult-use cannabis sales, according to Reilly.
M.J. Tidwell can be reached at mjtidwell@gazettenet.com.