Recreational Marijuana In Melrose Gets Green Light From City

MELROSE, MA — The city's only marijuana business estimates it will roughly triple how many customers it serves when it opens the first recreational operation in Melrose. Garden Remedies, which the Planning Board unanimously voted Monday night to grant a special permit for recreational sales in addition to its current medical sales, said it could go from 40-60 customers to 120-150 per day.

The Planning Board agreed to give Garden Remedies the flexibility to be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the company may not keep those hours, City Planner Denise Gaffey said.

Gaffey said what is often the biggest point of discussion — traffic — may not be such an issue by the time Garden Remedies opens recreational sales, "which is still several months away." The company still needs approvals from the Cannabis Control Commission, and in that time other area recreational marijuana businesses could open.

Police will have the option to institute appointment-only purchases if the traffic gets out of hand.

Garden Remedies agreed to a request from Police Chief Mike Lyle to install a direct line from the store to the police station. There will continue to be a police detail on site, as has been the case since Garden Remedies opened, Gaffey said. But all indications are that it has been a model business.

"We've had no issues whatsoever," she said. "They've been an excellent business partner in the community."

The Planning Board initially pushed for an additional recreational marijuana shop — first in the lower Washington Street area and then downtown — but both received pushback from the city. After taking the public's temperature on the matter, Gaffey said the Planning Board is happy with the end result.

In March, the Board of Aldermen restricted all marijuana-related business to a slice of the Newnburyport Turnpike.