Pot Of Gold

Amherst Medical marijuana is projected to be $10 million in annual sales

The Amherst Select Board acting as our chief executives will sign a "community host agreement" on Monday night with one of four Registered Marijuana Dispensaries  that will generate at least $90,000 in guaranteed payments and possibly twice that in a 3% take of the action, estimated to be $10 million annually.

   Amherst Pot Agreement

The contract calls for $75,000 in year one plus 3% of gross sales, and a guaranteed payment of $15,000 annually to a social service agency that focuses on Amherst.  The next two years of the contract ,where annual sales will have ramped up, calls for just the 3% cut of sales.

Of the four entities wishing to acquire the Golden Ticket to sell medicinal pot in Amherst only two have thus far gained a required Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals: Mass Alternative Care at 55 University Drive and GTI Massachusetts NP Corporation at 169 Meadow Street.

Rafters has been a local landmark for 25 years proposed site for Happy Valley Ventures

Interestingly Happy Valley Ventures has not yet acquired that vital document.  And by most measures they are only business generating controversy since their operation will displace Rafters Sports Bar and Restaurant, a beloved institution for the past 25 years.

Obviously this gold rush is stimulated by not only the medical market for this all natural drug of choice, but the recreational legalization question coming up on the November 8th ballot.

In 2000 Amherst was the first community in the state to approve a non binding referendum question urging police to relax the enforcement of marijuana laws.

And in 2001 the Select Board unanimously approved a letter to state and federal authorities urging legalization as Amherst Town Meeting had done previously in 1976.

A Plethora Of Pot

Pot is now legal to grow in Massachusetts

The Amherst Select Board, keepers of the public way, is greatly concerned about the implementation of recreational pot which is already legal to grow and share as long as you don't charge for it (wink, wink). 

In their official letter to our good friend Senate President Stan Rosenberg and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo they outline four requests:

(1) Allow a local municipality an easy way (Town Meeting) to delay recreation sales.

(2) Allow a local municipality an easy way (Town Meeting) to limit the number and location of recreational pot establishments.

(3) Rethink the "home grown" provision so Amherst is not overrun by free recreational pot.

(4) Rethink the 2% maximum local option sales tax on retailers.

The current law allows Amherst to limit the number of recreational pot permits to (a) either no more than the number of medical permits issued or (b) 20% the number of alcohol sales permits.

 55 University Drive received Special Permit from ZBA on June 30th

The Select Board issued four "Letters of Support" for medical marijuana businesses already and two of them have gained the necessary Special Permit from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

But ZBA Chair Mark Parent strongly suggested he would not approve any more than two based on market projections for medical marijuana in Amherst.

169 Meadow Street, N. Amherst received Special Permit July 21st

And Alisa Brewer pegged the number of recreational pot permits that could be issued based on 20% of alcohol permits at three.

Either provision requires a referendum vote at our local election and either provision can be added to the ballot with a simple majority vote of the Select Board.

So at the very least the Select Board should place the limiting provision on the upcoming end of March local election ballot and if they want the least number of recreational permits, tie it to the number of Medical permits issued which may very well end up being only two. 

And to limit it even further simply grant the two medical facilities those two recreation permits, which the state already seems to condone.

Since the revenue to the town is based on a percent of sales (2%) the tax revenues to the town stays the same if it's 2 facilities satisfying the market or 22.

Pot Profits

Pot row on University Drive

Former Auction Barn in North Amherst another possible pot dispensary

If all four proposed Medical Marijuana facilities blossom in Amherst the "host community agreements" could result in $250,000 in annual payments to the town coffers.

Enough to hire additional Public Safety personnel that are badly needed now, even without any problems the facilities could bring.

But based on Northampton's experience to date, problems should not be an issue.

So far three of the proposed projects have garnered Select Board approval although the 4th has yet to appear on the agenda.  And that is the one that could have a negative impact on iconic sports bar Rafters.

Rafters Restaurant & Sports Bar 422 Amity Street

Our Select Board is weighing its options as to whether they can deny a Letter of Support simply based on number of facilities (three) already approved.

If so the new owner of Rafters property may have a long wait for a return on his $2 million investment.

   Rafters Sell Out by Larry Kelley

Here's mud in your eye

UPDATE Jan 30, 2013:

According to Ms. Brooks, she was found guilty of a first offense DUI on September 7, 2012. All  
other charges were dropped.

####

One of the more jarring incidents over the  "Blarney Blowout" weekend occurred early Monday morning (1:30 AM) when a 21-year-old drunk UMass student became embroiled in a "road rage" incident in town center which led to a high speed chase down Amity Street, some of it on the wrong side of the road, a wide turn on University Drive where police pulled over and arrested both drivers before they killed one another, or an innocent bystander.

The road rage continued however as the young lady did not take too kindly to the interdiction by an Amherst Police officer.  She spit on him.  Yes, spit.

Courtney M Brooks, 85 Eastern Ave, Rochester, NH, age 21 was arrested for Operating Under the Influence, speeding, marked lanes violation, marijuana possession, possession of pepper spray without a proper license AND assault on an officer.

Christopher Alviani, 169 Rocky Hill Road, Hadley, MA, age 24 was arrested for Operating Under the Influence, speeding, following too closely.

Springfield Republican catches up with this story

Extravaganja Lives

Extravaganja 2015 Amherst Town Common

So Northampton, our sister city to the west, will welcome the 25th annual pot rally at the 3 County Fairgrounds April 30th.

Amherst bounced the mellow revelers from the town common due to the size of the crowd they attract, estimated in the range of 6,000.

Interestingly enough the 3 County Fair committee voted in favor of the rental agreement on Monday night around the same time the Amherst Select Board voted to support a 2nd medical marijuana dispensary on University Drive.

Average Amherst citizenry will certainly not miss the traffic congestion the event always created, but I'm sure starving downtown businesses will miss the thousands of hungry customers.