ORANGE — Purchase agreements are in place, the Selectboard has voiced its approval, but many still have questions about Orange’s first potential retail marijuana store.
Silver Therapeutics Inc., pending a state-issued permit, has plans to open a dispensary for medical — and later recreational — marijuana at 5 South Main St. and a growing facility in the Orange Business Park at 158 Dukakis Drive.
Saturday, the company held a public outreach session at the Orange Armory to give residents and town officials detailed information about its proposed operation.
“We’re looking at an adult-use retail operation opening in August, maybe into September,” said Silver Therapeutics Inc. CEO Joshua Silver. “On the medical side, we’re very close to getting our provisional license from the Department of Public Health.”
Silver Therapeutics Inc. also has a retail marijuana dispensary in Williamstown – the state limits dispensary licenses to three per person – and Chief Financial Officer Brendan McKee said the company will be applying for a license to sell marijuana for recreational use when the state opens the application period in April.
The company plans for the store to be “full-service,” selling marijuana in smokeable and edible forms, as well as for vaporizers.
“The way I think of it is it’s less like a pharmacy as a jewelry store,” said Silver, who is a lawyer. “We want to have eight or nine strains of marijuana, limit the number of products we’re selling and just do the ones we sell very good.”
Silver said the company will be fully compliant with the town’s Board of Health and Police Department. McKee has plans to meet with Police Chief Craig Lundgren on Tuesday. He also said the store will have security and strict policies to minimize the possibility of marijuana getting in the hands of minors.
Silver said the company would be “honored” to support programs educating Orange youths about marijuana, and that the store won’t be a “cafe” or allow any smoking on the property.
Silver Therapeutics Inc. also plans to give the store a classy look, and not use marijuana imagery on its windows or signs, and preserve the “historical vibe” of the town, according to McKee.
“Unless you knew what it was, you wouldn’t know what it was,” said Joshua Ferranto, the company’s director of operations and head cultivator, who will work at the Orange locations.
Silver also highlighted some of the benefits he believes having a marijuana store in Orange will bring. He said he would like to hire locally, with five to seven jobs at the store and around 15 at the cultivation facility. Furthermore, the store will pay 3 percent of the wholesale value of what is cultivated to the town, and 20 percent to the state.
Members of the Orange Selectboard, variably citing the approval of constituents, possible economic benefits and the health benefits of medical marijuana, has formally supported the company’s venture and has signed a host agreement pertaining to the cultivation facility.
The next step for Silver Therapeutics, according to McKee, is to apply for a retail permit from the town once the operation is state licensed, as would any other retail store.
At the public outreach meeting, Planning Board member Casey Bashaw also spoke to some possible benefits.
“It’s the one time people from New Hampshire will be coming to Orange; you can count on that,” Bashaw said.
Bashaw also suggested the company be thorough in educating children about marijuana, although in a behind-the-scenes way.
During the session, Planning Board Chairwoman Mercedes Clingerman issued cautionary words for Silver and his colleagues.
“When you said earlier attending the meeting you felt the town embraced it because the Selectboard embraced it, that is not true for everyone,” Clingerman said.
“My piece of advice would be if you’re truly looking to be a good-faith piece of the town, I wouldn’t just do this session,” she added, suggesting the company reach out to other businesses. “If you’re really going to put your money where your mouth is, you really need to knit yourself in the community.”
Silver said Clingerman’s suggestions were well taken, and McKee took notes of her feedback.
Town resident Claire Spaulding also suggested more outreach should be done.
“For seniors, it would behoove you to educate that population about what you are,” said Spaulding. “It is a social issue.”
Spaulding also said that the session Saturday was a good start, and that many of her questions were answered and concerns alleviated.
“What is your commitment going to be to the town of Orange, so we back you and help you?” asked Spaulding, who did not want the store to open if “six months later it’s another empty store.”
“We’re making a substantial commitment of time and energy to this,” said Silver, who explained that Silver Therapeutics Inc. wants to be a “good neighbor” and even possibly help drive black market marijuana dealers out of town.
However, Silver added that only time will tell how things turn out.
“This industry doesn’t exist yet, so we’re inventing it right here and we have no idea what it’s going to do,” he said. “Part of the strategy is to get in first. If you want to get in next door to us, you’re going to have to compete with us.”