Politics & Government
Medical Marijuana Group Wants to Grow Pot on Cape Cod
"We have determined that the seasonal economy of Martha's Vineyard cannot support a growing facility," according to Mike Mahoney, attorney for a group applying for two medical marijuana dispensary permits in Barnstable County and one in Dukes County.
A Martha's Vineyard-based corporation is looking for a facility on Cape Cod large enough to supply medical marijuana to as many as three Cape and Island locations: Provincetown, Dennis and Oak Bluffs or Edgartown on the Vineyard, according to a spokesman.
"We have determined that the seasonal economy of Martha's Vineyard cannot support a growing facility," said Mike Mahoney, attorney for Kingsbury Group, in an email to Patch.
Kingsbury Group has filed three applications with the state to operate medical marijuana treatment centers in Dukes and Barnstable counties.
"We are seeking a growing facility on the Cape that will support three locations. These are Provincetown, Dennis and Oak Bluffs or Edgartown," Mahoney wrote.
"In our view, one growing facility that serves three dispensaries makes sound economic sense and will fully comply with the letter and spirit of the regulations," Mahoney continued.
He added that his group is "cautiously optimistic" about its prospects for approval, given that Dukes County residents approved the state ballot measure allowing medical marijuana by 74 percent last November.
In Barnstable County, 60 percent of voters approved the ballot measure.
The principal named in the Kingsbury Group application is Mark Wallace, an Oak Bluffs businessman whose 20-year-old son Jordan was instrumental in putting together the plan to apply for a state permit to dispense medical marijuana.
Applicants paid $1,500 for the first round of state scrutiny. Those who pass will be assessed a $30,000 fee to be considered in the second round next month.
Selected marijuana dispensaries will have to pay the state $50,000 a year and $500 for each "dispensary agent," according to a schedule of fees published by the state Department of Public Health. Any change of location will cost $10,000; a name change costs $100.
Medical marijuana patients, defined as having a doctor's recommendation to consume medical pot, must each pay a $50 annual registration fee and, if no local dispensary exists, $100 for a "hardship cultivation" permit allowing them and/or their caregivers to grow it.
Where on the Cape would you like to see a medical marijuana farm? Tell us in the comments.
