Out of the 181 businesses looking to open medical marijuana dispensaries in Boston, 158 have been cleared to move on to the second round of the application process.
The Department of Public Health released a list on Monday of the applicants who can proceed to the next step in acquiring their licenses to sell pot legally. State officials received 181 application in August, and are slated to give 35 licenses throughout the state. Each county will be granted up to five licenses for their respective municipalities.
Shirley resident John Hillier, who is working to start a dispensary in Ayer, was one of the 45 applicants from Middlesex County granted access to the next round. 13 of the 15 applicants from Worcester County were given the go-ahead to proceed. Some hopefuls submitted applications in multiple counties - among them, Planting Hope, a group that is thinking about setting up a store in Littleton while also applying to work out of Suffolk, Barnstable and Essex counties. One of the candidates, TJMM Marijuana Dispensary, Inc., which was looking to open a shop up in Worcester County, has removed its application from the pool.
DPH Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett told Sentinel & Enterprise News during a telephone interview on Monday that the agency chose the 158 prospective dispensary owners through a rigorous and "competitive process." Applicants' financial histories were studied, in addition to general background information and work with nonprofit organizations. Those that didn't make it to the next round in the application process didn't present substantial financials, had incomplete applications, or didn't clear as a nonprofit group in the state.
Under Massachusetts law, all dispensaries will work as nonprofit businesses, Sentinel & Enterprise reported.
All dispensary hopefuls had to pay a nonrefundable fee of $1,500 for the first step. Those that made it to the next round will have to pay $30,000 for the following steps.
Earlier this month, some Massachusetts municipalities passed new measures that will suspend pot clubs' ability to start selling for a certain window of time, in addition to some legislation that details zoning lines restricting dispensaries from opening up in certain locations.
