Cannabis Dispensary Proposed In Orange

ORANGE, CT — A marijuana dispensary is aiming to open at 175 Boston Post Road in Orange, but some town residents were opposed to having a dispensary in town.

The Town Planning and Zoning Commission held a public hearing on the application of Southern CT Wellness and Healing LLC in October. The business is proposing a hybrid dispensary that would sell both medical and recreational products. It would feature a drive-thru window and curbside pickup.

The hearing was continued to Nov. 15 to allow time for a peer traffic review study.

Orange enacted a moratorium one year ago to study the issue. There were multiple public hearings, but no members of the public attended, Commissioner Kevin Cornell said. The commission had a split vote and decided to allow dispensaries as a special use permit.

“So now we are in a place where we are reviewing something that has just specific criteria to meet because it’s a permitted use,” he said. “...I personally would like to reflect both on those criteria and the testimony of the professionals and applicant, as well as the neighborhood, which is now engaged.”

The dispensary would be operated by Green Thumb Industries, which operates 77 dispensaries in 15 states, including locations in Branford and Westport.

No cannabis products will be visible from the exterior of the building, and all cannabis products will be stored in the former bank vault on site. The site will also have more than 50 cameras, silent hold-up alarms, audible panic alarms and on-site security. The application calls for 35 parking spaces.

About 10 residents spoke in opposition to the plan at the October meeting.

Zoning Board of Appeals member Pat Panza, who is a nearby resident, said he was concerned for the safety of children who live nearby and urged the commission to limit operating hours if it does approve the plan. He also said that he heard from officials that the approval was “a done deal.”

Attorney Marjorie Shanksy, who is representing the applicant, took issue with some of the characterizations of the business and industry

“I have never heard so many ad hominem attacks that were directed at the applicant, at myself and at this commission in my entire life,” she said.

She urged members of TPZC to consider the application on its merits.

Nearby resident James Glaser said his home is close to the proposed location and he worried that children would have to pass the open dispensary on their way home from school.

"In the last few years, I've noticed that the town has lost a sense of moral beliefs that brought us to town in the first place," he said. "Our elected officials have started to make decisions that are not in the best interests of the community.

Resident Brian McGrew said that he was surprised the plan got as far as it did already.

“This really shreds Orange’s image, this is not a good fit in Orange,” he said. “Nice towns don’t have dispensaries.”

Dr. Jesse Parks said he moved his surgery center on New Haven Avenue in Milford in large part because he shared the parking lot with a dispensary.

“Once this opened, we immediately experienced problems,” he said, adding that the center had to keep its front door locked to prevent dispensary customers from wandering in looking for a bathroom.

Green Thumb Industries Municipal Compliance Director Annemarie Zsamba said that the Milford location had issues before it was acquired by Green Thumb Industries and said there are too many tenants and not enough parking at the New Haven Avenue location.

“Our Branford and Westport facilities have had no issues, in fact we have assisted the local police department by providing footage,” Zsamba said, adding that they made a similar commitment to Orange police.

She also noted that 37 states have approved cannabis for medical use and 19 for adult recreational use.

"You are dealing with a regulated product that is tested by third-party independent labs, so the fentanyl deaths that happen due to laced marijuana in Plymouth last year won’t occur.”