The existing Triple M location on Echo Road. Courtesy of Triple M.
MASHPEE – At a recent Mashpee Board of Selectmen meeting, President of M3 Ventures Lianne Ankner gave an update on the marijuana company’s intention to open a recreational dispensary.
The dispensary is planned to be opened directly adjacent to M3 Ventures’ (Triple M) existing medical dispensary on Echo Road.
Ankner said that the new facility would have 8,500 square feet of usable space on a 3,700 square-foot footprint.
Chairman John Cotton voiced concern over the prospect of home-delivery.
“I have a serious concern with that. I think it makes it a little too convenient, so it’s a major concern of mine,” said Cotton.
Ankner said that they have no intention to offer that service and the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission regulations do not permit them to regardless, however the law does leave the door open for other companies to offer home delivery unless the town holds a vote to disallow the practice specifically.
“The law also does say because you have a marijuana treatment center, it’s presumed that you will permit recreational delivery in your town,” said Ankner.
Ankner said that when it came to another of the board’s concerns: packaging, 70% of the company’s investors are licensed physicians and desire to see the product distributed as safely as possible.
“Our edibles are packaged in containers that have child-resistant locks. What that means is that there’s an independent third party that has tested the child-resistant mechanism and are using federal standards of child safety to confirm that it meets those standards,” said Ankner.
“Once you open up the container, the lock is not breached. That mechanism is still there. So as soon as you close it again the lock automatically secures.”
The edibles also utilize plain packaging that is not meant to be attractive to children.
Board member David Weeden expressed concern over the amount of traffic in the area and how it might impact safety.
A traffic study said that road signals or roadway modifications aren’t necessary for the implementation of the dispensary, but Weeden was concerned with the potential hundreds of people visiting the business daily and the over 176,800 customers expected in the first year of operation.
“That area is already congested. For this volume of traffic to be coming from any direction sounds like a substantial amount of traffic for one establishment. I don’t know if I agree with the traffic study. There should at least be some curb-cuts to allow for quicker access,” said Weeden.
Ankner said they are open to whatever the board wants to do to ensure ease-of-access and safety.
“We have the best interest in making sure that everybody coming is safe.”
The dispensary is expected to make $11 million in sales in its first year of operation, with 3 percent of its gross revenue going to the town as part of the company’s agreement with the municipality for Mashpee to be the host town.
Triple M will also be required to pay $25,000 annually to a drug abuse prevention and education program chosen by selectmen as part of the host agreement.
The recreational marijuana dispensary is expected to open as soon as April 1.
About Grady Culhane
