Salem Gets First Two Applications For Retail Marijuana Stores

SALEM, MA -- Alternative Therapies Group, which has run a medical dispensary in Salem for three years, and NS Alternatives, are the first two companies to apply for special permits under the city's recently-passed rules to allow retail marijuana sales. ATG is looking to open its retail marijuana operation on site at its marijuana medical dispensary at 50 Grove Street, while NS Alternatives is applying to open at a shuttered Chevrolet Dealership at 207 Highland Ave.

Both companies have filed applications and have scheduled neighborhood meetings to answer resident questions. NS Alternatives has scheduled its community meeting for March 20 at 207 Highland Avenue at 6:30 pm. ATG will hold its neighborhood meeting on March 22 at at 6:30 pm at the Moose Lodge, also at 50 Grove Street.

The Zoning Board of Appeals, which has final say on the special permit applications for retail marijuana sales, has both companies on its March 21 agenda. That meeting begins at 6:30 pm in the City Hall Annex.

Neither store can begin retail marijuana sales until the state finalizes rules later this year. Salem City Council approved recreational marijuana sales last month. Under the new rules, which go into effect later this year, the city will issue up to four licenses in the Downtown business district or in areas zone B2, or "business highway," under city bylaws.

Salem has been pushing to adopt its own rules before the state adopts rules regulating recreational marijuana sales. Those state regulations are expected in late spring or early summer. The local laws approved mOnday would only allow for the sale of marijuana; businesses would not be licensed to allow on-site consumption of purchases by customers.

More than 60% of Salem voters supported the 2016 ballot question that legalized recreational marijuana sales. Statewide, the measure passed by a margin of 1,745,394 to 1,511,747. Earlier this year, the state legislature passed a "compromise bill" that reworked the law to address concerns in the original language of the law. The expectation is that recreational marijuana sales in Massachusetts will start at some point in 2018.

More on this story:

• Salem City Council OKs Pot Sales For Downtown, Highway Areas (2/9/2018)
• Salem Moves Closer To Recreational Marijuana Sales (2/2/2018)
• Salem May Be Open To Experimenting With Recreational Marijuana (11/29/2017)
• Peabody Poised To Ban Retail Marijuana Sales (11/10/2017)

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Patch file photo.

Dave Copeland can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).