Melrose Marijuana Advisory Committee Members Appointed

MELROSE, MA — The mayor has appointed several officials to make up a medical marijuana advisory committee, the purpose of which is to help evaluate potential operators of a registered dispensary in Melrose. The designated area is a business/industrial stretch on Route 99 that, frankly, barely passes through much of the city.

The committee is consisting of Director of Community Services Mike Lindstrom, the City legal team of Robert Van Campen and David Lucas, City Planner Denise Gaffey, Police Chief Mike Lyle, and Regional Tobacco Coordinator Maureen Buzby. Subscribe to Melrose Patch to stay up to date on local news.

Whichever organization receives a license to sell from the state, it will still need to go through a local permitting process, the Mayor's office said.

The Mayor's office also said Melrose has received "a number of proposals" for dispensaries. The committee will screen the candidates.

Melrose in November narrowly voted in favor of Question 4 to legalize recreational marijuana but regulate it in a manner similar to alcoholic beverages, 8,595-8,077. The process statewide has been something of a mess ever since then.

Dolan has in the past balked at the idea of medical marijuana dispensaries in Melrose, citing the lack of appropriate zones.

"Medical marijuana is legal in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and cities and towns must be prepared for it through zoning and regulation," said Mayor Rob Dolan on his blog Tuesday. "The advisory committee will ensure that anyone operating in the City of Melrose has impeccable credentials and is highly qualified and experienced in the industry. Restricting this use to Route 99 avoids impacts on residential neighborhoods. This is an appropriate commercial zone, and I should further note that any dispensary would have to operate under the strict regulations of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health."

In order to receive a licenses from the Mass. DPH, the operator must receive a letter of non-opposition from the community.

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