Cannabis store owners hold public meeting | News
TEWKSBURY — Tewksbury residents were invited to the Tewksbury/Wilmington Lodge of Elks to listen to a presentation about a proposed retail cannabis facility for the community on Friday, Sept. 30. Tewksbury native Brad Tosto, a CPA, and business partner Peter Wilson, DMD, a Newburyport dentist, are planning to open Sundaze, a cannabis retail facility in the former Sal’s Pizza location at 2504 Main St.
The presentation was part of a public outreach requirement for the establishment. Approximately 20 people attended to hear the business proposal and ask questions.
Tosto is eager to bring retail marijuana to Tewksbury. As a resident, he understands the revenue benefit for the town. A retail marijuana establishment in Tewksbury would pay an excise tax of three percent on every sale, in addition to collecting a state excise tax of 10.75 percent and sales tax of 6.25 percent.
Further, Tosto and Wilson are committed to providing local jobs, and are thrilled to have the chance to fill an otherwise vacant property on Main Street. Tosto said there are no retail stores of this kind in the immediate area.
Lowell has several retail dispensaries, as does Dracut according to MassCannabisControl.com. There is also a dispensary in Billerica. Marijuana has been legal in Massachusetts since 2016.
Currently only the sale of medical marijuana, cultivation, research, or the production of marijuana products is permitted in Tewksbury in specified zones.
In order for a retail dispensary to open in Tewksbury, residents must vote to include retail marijuana in the zoning bylaw. This vote occured on Monday, Oct. 3 at special Town Meeting and passed. The vote allows retail operations in four zones within the community, and limits the number of licenses granted by the Select Board to 20 percent of the number of off-premise liquor licenses in the town.
Further, any cannabis retail operation would have its permit approved by the Select Board, and be required to follow not only Massachusetts regulations, but Tewksbury regulations, as well. As proposed, the bylaw will have at least 27 town regulations a storefront retail marijuana outlet must comply with, in addition to state regulations.
Tosto said the mission of Sundaze is to “provide a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for all individuals to purchase adult-use marijuana.”
Tosto explained that the business will be required to follow strict safety and security guidelines, which include surveillance cameras, two-levels of ID verification, installation of high risk product vaults, employee cash and product handling training, and be subject to unannounced visits from regulatory agencies.
Neighborhood nuisance mitigation measures include a parking and traffic flow plan, no consumption of any marijuana or tobacco products on the premises, odor mitigation, and payment of a community impact fee. Hours of operation will be stipulated by the town, and Tosto hopes to have 6-10 employees on site.
Tosto and Wilson estimated that it will take one year to open the business since the bylaw measure passed in Tewksbury.
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