Come fall, local businessman Robert DiFazio hopes to put 15-20 Haverhill-area veterans to work—at his veteran-owned and operated marijuana dispensary CNA Stores, which he hopes to open at 558 River St.
Carrying a tagline of “a completely natural alternative,” CNA builds on DiFazio’s commitment to putting local veterans to work, he tells WHAV. A Navy veteran himself, DiFazio said nearly three-quarters of his employees at the Ward Hill data services are veterans.
“I believe in hiring veterans. They’re great for this opportunity,” DiFazio said at a community outreach meeting last month, where he gave Haverhill residents the first look at his 4,000 square-foot dispensary. Along with business partner Billie Haggard, DiFazio plans to sell product obtained from wholesaler Sanctuary Medicinals.
In an effort to employ city servicemen and women, DiFazio has already been in touch with Haverhill’s veterans’ services officer Amanda Buckley.
Networking isn’t where DiFazio’s veteran-focused efforts stop. The dispensary CEO told WHAV he is also in touch with Veterans Northeast Outreach Center, the Haverhill-based agency poised to receive $12,500 of his city-mandated charitable contribution. The other half of his $25,000 gift will go to cancer charity LUNGSTRONG.
Like the two other retail marijuana companies looking to do business in Haverhill, DiFazio still needs to petition the City Council for a special permit, which will iron out traffic and security, along with hours of operation. The city’s first marijuana shop is expected to open next summer.