BROCKTON — Brockton’s retail marijuana scene may be booming within the next year as five additional licenses were granted this week to applicants who all hope to open within roughly the next six months.
The Brockton City Council granted five adult-use retail marijuana licenses for businesses located in the downtown and on the North and West sides during a special meeting Tuesday evening.
The council has now granted 12 marijuana licenses of the 14 available in Brockton. A 13th applicant is seeking a license from the council and will have a hearing in May.
The number of licenses was increased by the council in February from eight to 14 as two former mayors — Bill Carpenter and now-Councilor-at-large Moises Rodrigues — gave out a total of 14 host community agreements to proposed marijuana establishments despite the city only having eight available retail licenses to issue.
The council approved an ordinance in February to increase the number of licenses and also provide notice to any applicant with a pending application that there are no available recreational marijuana licenses in Brockton once all 14 have been granted.
More:Brockton ordinance seeks to expand retail marijuana licenses by 75 percent amid dispute
These are the five businesses that were granted licenses on Tuesday:
Terrasol LLC
Terrasol, which is led by Ian Woods, a Brockton native and Black entrepreneur, was granted a retail license for 702 North Montello St.
Woods is a participant in the Cannabis Control Commission’s social equity program, meant to provide assistance with the approval process to minorities and those most impacted by marijuana prohibition in Massachusetts in the past.
The applicant met the most resistance at the council meeting, with Ward 4 Councilor Susan Nicastro voting against granting him the license — the only “no” vote that was cast for any license that evening — and council President and Councilor-at-large Win Farwell abstaining from the deliberations.
Farwell, who wrote a letter about why he was abstaining that was read into the record, said he thought an independent investigation into Woods’ claims that a “criminal enterprise” began under Carpenter’s administration was the only appropriate way to proceed.
“In my opinion, it is one thing to apply to the city council for a license,” Farwell wrote. “It is quite another to attempt to gain that license by false accusations of ‘criminal enterprise’ or accusing members of the council of violating civil rights and possibly other rights. This is serious.”
Nicastro said Thursday that she voted against Woods’ application because she doesn’t believe he has the financial resources to run the business. She said with all of the state regulations, it takes tens of thousands of dollars to get a marijuana business operating and that social equity and empowerment candidates are at a disadvantage because of it.
“I’m a real estate and business attorney by profession. I have a lot of experience and know how to read a business statement,” she said. “I don’t think he has the financial resources to run this business, especially when compared to the other applicants that have come before us.”
Woods’ attorney, Elizabeth Clague, said Nicastro didn’t give her client a chance to address that concern at the meeting.
“Measured up against the other applicants who have been granted licenses, he’s in fine financial shape,” Clague said.
Woods filed a lawsuit against the city council in early April that claims his constitutional and statutory rights have been violated by not being granted a license.
Rodrigues asked Woods if he was prepared to drop his lawsuit if he were granted the license. Woods referred the question to his attorney.
Clague wouldn’t say Thursday whether the lawsuit would be dismissed, saying she wouldn’t discuss private conversations with her client.
“It’s good that he finally got his license,” she said. “To have to wait for so long, so long after it should have been granted, it’s been very, very difficult for him.”
Councilor-at-large Tina Cardoso said Woods shouldn’t have been before the council on Tuesday evening, because he should have been granted his license earlier and his business should already be open and flourishing.
“I hope every other social equity applicant that gets up tonight says thank you to you because if it wasn’t for you highlighting some of the injustices and the inequalities that existed in the application process, we wouldn’t be here,” she said. “You know you have my vote. You have my support. I hope that your business just booms and you show them what a Black man can do in this city.”
Woods’ license was granted with the condition that he sign a new host community agreement with the city. Woods said he has been offered a new agreement from the city and hasn’t yet signed it due to the amendments, but plans to.
Woods, who received his provisional license from the Cannabis Control Commission in January, said he hopes to be operational within three months if there are no other delays.
Commonwealth Alternative Care
The proposed marijuana business that’s been going through the license process for the longest in Brockton is Commonwealth Alternative Care.
Commonwealth Alternative Care — a directly owned subsidiary of TILT Holdings — hasn’t opened its doors in Brockton at 1090 West Chestnut St. despite receiving provisional approval from the Cannabis Control Commission for medical marijuana sales in 2016.
The company previously said it has been stalled at the state level because the Cannabis Control Commission was investigating whether TILT, through the terms of its financing arrangements with other applicants, would be deemed under the commission’s regulations to control more than the three medical marijuana licenses allowed by state law.
“We have been working with (the CCC) throughout this year and most of last year to resolve some investigatory matters from prior management, who have been removed from the company almost two years now,” TILT’s President Gary Santo said. “We completed the last of those about two or three months ago. We were told about two weeks ago that the investigation was completed, that a recommendation would be forthcoming.”
Santo said the company’s understanding is that they may face potential fines, which they will pay immediately, and then they will be free to move forward in the license process.
Commonwealth Alternative Care is awaiting its final medical marijuana license from the Cannabis Control Commission and still needs a provisional retail license from the state.
“I believe the CCC looked at this as a package — they wanted issues resolved that were outstanding, even though the medical marijuana license was ready to go,” said attorney James Burke, who is representing Commonwealth Alternative Care. “They spent $2,700,000 on that facility. Believe me, it was in their interest to get the facility up and moving as quickly as possible.”
The company has said it is prepared to open within about a week of receiving final approval from the state, which they expect within the coming months.
The retail license was unanimously granted by the council with the condition that a new host community agreement is signed.
Elevation Inc.
Two downtown retail marijuana businesses received licenses from the city council this week, including Elevation Inc., which is owned by Victor Teixeira and Jose Andrade and is planned for 156-160 Main St.
The business, which signed a three-year host community agreement with the city in February and received a provisional retail license through the Cannabis Control Commission in March, will be located on the second floor inside the Protentis Plaza building.
Teixeira previously owned an auto body shop in Brockton and lives in the city, while Andrade currently owns a real estate business in the city and recently moved to Taunton.
The downtown location will need construction to get it ready for occupancy. Teixeira said he expects it will require about $80,000 to $90,000 of work.
Both Teixeira and Andrade are planning to invest $200,000 each to get the business up and running, but said they have potential investors if needed.
The business’ entrance will be on East Elm Street. It won’t have its own parking lot downtown, but the company said there is ample street parking and the garage on Crescent Street is nearby.
“I’m so happy that you’re coming downtown,” Cardoso said.
Elevation Inc., which is an expedited applicant with the Cannabis Control Commission as a social equity participant and minority-owned business, was unanimously granted its retail license from the council.
The business hopes to be open within about six months.
Leaf Relief Inc.
Leaf Relief is a retail marijuana business slated for 165 Westgate Drive, next to the Lowe’s.
“They should be able to attract a different mix of retail customers up at the mall since there’s such a variety of retail locations now at the mall — going from a car wash to Aldi’s to Market Basket to the new stores inside the mall,” said attorney Scott Rubin, who is representing Leaf Relief. “Xfinity is there. There’s quite a bit, as well as the restaurants, and Chick-fil-A. There’s certainly activity up at the mall, really from as early as 8 o’clock in the morning, when this applicant expects to be open, through 8 o’clock at night. We certainly think this specific location, it will draw quite a variety of customers that are consistent with the city of Brockton.”
The business is co-owned by Eric Holstein, who has an extensive background in the food industry business; Anthony Ackil, who is the founder of the restaurant B.GOOD; and John Jeha, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
The company, which first entered into a host community agreement with the city in 2018 and has a provisional retail license from the state, signed a renewed agreement in November.
The owners expect to invest about $400,000 to $500,000 including build-out costs to get the business up and running.
Leaf Relief is eyeing a September or October 2021 opening.
The retail license was unanimously granted by the council.
Atlantic Medicinal Partners Inc.
A company with a retail marijuana business in Fitchburg that also holds a provisional retail license in Salem is looking to expand into Brockton.
Atlantic Medicinal Partners Inc. is planning to open downtown at 4 Main St., at the corner of Main and Court streets, across from the Brockton Community Access building.
The business’ entrance would be located on Court Street and will be on the basement floor of the building.
“We chose this location — physical building — and it fit within the zone in Brockton,” said co-owner Frank Cieri. “We looked at a number of locations in Brockton. We loved that it was on Main Street, we loved that we’d have our own entrance on the bottom floor. It was easy for security. This was our first choice of locations.”
The business has a provisional retail license from the state.
“We’d like to be (open in) less than six months,” Cieri said.
The retail license was unanimously granted by the council with the condition that a new host community agreement is reached with the city.
Enterprise senior reporter Cody Shepard can be reached by email at cshepard@enterprisenews.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @cshepard_ENT.
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