Two Companies Inquire About Opening Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

The operators of two medical marijuana dispensaries have approached the city about moving here.

Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.

Click image for Haverhill City Council agenda.

City Council will hear from Jason Sidman, CEO of Sanctuary Medicinals, at Tuesday night’s meeting. Dan Schiavo, of Revolutionary Medical, has asked for a meeting, as well, but one has yet to be scheduled.

The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Theodore A. Pelosi City Council Chambers on the second floor of Haverhill City Hall. The meeting is open to the public.

Sidman said he met with Mayor James J. Fiorentini as recently as May 15 to discuss locating a registered medical marijuana dispensary in Haverhill.

In 2015, councilors adopted a plan to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in a section of the Broadway business park near Route 97 and Interstate 495.

Sidman said the company has “exhausted all efforts” to identify a potential location in the Computer and Research Drive area of the business park that has been zoned for marijuana dispensaries, but will introduce an alternative site at Tuesday’s meeting.

Sidman said the replacement site has similar characteristics to the zone where dispensaries would currently be allowed.

Sanctuary Medicinals has a license to operate three dispensaries in Massachusetts, Sidman said. The first is scheduled to open in Gardner, and the company hopes the second will be in Haverhill if it can earn a special permit from the council.

The company operates a dispensary in Plymouth, N.H., and a cultivation operation in Rochester, N.H. The company is about to begin another growing operation on Taylor Street in Littleton, Sidman said.

Sanctuary Medicinals’ corporate office is in Boston, according to papers it has filed with the Department of Public Health.

Councilor Colin F. LePage said Revolutionary Medical’s Schiavo contacted him to request information about how his company could receive a letter of support from the city and to learn about Haverhill’s requirements for medical marijuana dispensaries.

Healthy Pharms, the first company that approached the city about locating a dispensary here, abandoned its plan and opened a facility in Georgetown.

8 thoughts on “Two Companies Inquire About Opening Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

      • Massachusetts doesn’t have a “revenue” problem, it has a spending problem, especially spending for, and on those who won’t get off their butt and go to work.

        You want more revenue? Then work with the small business administration to help create more jobs by getting government off the backs of small business owner so they can hire.

        Unless, of course, the real concern isn’t “revenue” but just to have a local place to buy marijuana.

        And remember, you’re entrusting this decision to a city council and Mayor that didn’t even have the brain power to figure out the new Harbor Place would need a freight delivery plan for the building.

  1. In both cases, neither companies or their principals have donated campaign money or paid for lobbying services. Good luck getting approval in this city and this pay-to-play state. Behind closed doors, it’s not whether your business is good or what it can do for people, it’s whether you donated to the trough.

  2. I’d like to know where every city councilor comes down on this issue. Yes, I know, it’s already been passed in a statewide ballot initiative and it’s now legal. But I’d like to know every city councilor’s opinion regarding the legalization . Are they in favor of it being legalized? Are they in favor of dispensaries opening in Haverhill?

    WHAV: Is there any way you can poll each city councilor? There are a lot of people opposed to a dispensary opening in the city and it would be nice to have information about who to contact to voice objections. Thanks….

  3. I am surprised there are only two looking here. Maybe the word got out about the fiasco with the previous company. Never the less, we are a ripe spot for these folks. I wonder if Jajugua is buddies with these companies as well.