VALLEY GREEN GROW COMMUNITY OUTREACH INFORMATION NIGHT CHARLTON, MA MAY 29, :30 PM

Transcription

1 VALLEY GREEN GROW COMMUNITY OUTREACH INFORMATION NIGHT CHARLTON, MA MAY 29, :30 PM 1

2 Team VALLEY GREEN GROW ARCHITECTURAL & ENGINEERING Jeff Goldstein, Founder Doug Shaffer, Advisor Tom Regan, Advisor Nial DeMena, Advisor Dan Leary, Advisor Harry van Duijne, Advisor Hooks Johnston, Advisor Saar Shafir, Advisor Marc Cooperstein, Advisor Rick Shaughnessy, Advisor Lindsey Cunningham, Advisor 2

3 Today s Agenda 1. INTRODUCTION 2. CANNABIS MARKET 3. LOCATION 4. ZONING 5. SECURITY 6. PREVENT DIVERSION TO MINORS 7. COMMUNITY IMPACT 8. NO NUISANCE 9. MEDICAL BENEFITS 10. ADULT-USE FACTS 11. QUESTION & ANSWER 3

4 Legalization Trend Medical Legalized Medical and Adult Use Legalized Medical Use Legalized Limited CBD Use Legalized 4

5 Cannabis Market 30 states legalized Medical Cannabis Proven medical benefits Research shows further potential Massachusetts legalized in states legalized Adult Use Cannabis Recognized existing use in society Ability to regulate and tax Avoid exposure of users to contaminated product Reduce illicit sales Save law enforcement resources Massachusetts legalized in 2016 Sales begin July 2018 Medical and Adult Use Legalized Medical Use Legalized Limited CBD Use Legalized 5

6 Largest Cannabis Producers growersnetwork, May

7 Why adult use cultivation? Massachusetts Goal Eliminate black market and replace with regulated, safe access to consumers over 21 Estimated Massachusetts Market Over 6,000,000 square feet of cultivation Valley Green Grow Model Develop state of the art, best practices, cultivation center to become an enduring center for horticultural and medical excellence 7

8 Where will Cannabis be sold? Towns with existing/approved dispensaries or retail Towns with Adult Use ban and no approved dispensary 8

9 Charlton Orchards 44 Old Worcester Road Charlton, MA L Turner Drive Charlton, MA

10 Greenhouse Layout Schematic 10

11 Greenhouses 11

12 Dispensary Location Proposed New Building Route 20 Charlton, Massachusetts 12

13 Dispensary Route 20 Charlton, Massachusetts 13

14 Local and State Oversight Charlton Police Department Fire Department Building Department Department of Public Works Planning Department Health Department Board of Health Board of Selectman Planning Board Massachusetts MA Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) MA Department of Agriculture MA Department of Public Health (DPH) 14

15 State Licenses Categories of Proposed Marijuana Establishments Marijuana Cultivator 100,000 s/f of Mature Canopy Marijuana Product Manufacturer Manufacture, Process, and Package Cannabis Product Marijuana Transporter Transport of Material from Cultivation Facility to Licensed Medical Dispensaries Marijuana Retailer In-Store Sales No Onsite Consumption 15

16 Local Permitting Site Plan Approval Town of Charlton The proposed facility will be subject to Site Plan Review by the Planning Board Site Plan Review is governed by Zoning Bylaw Section (D) Purpose of Site Plan: For the purpose of ensuring adequate stormwater management, wastewater disposal, screening, parking and loading spaces, utilities, water supply and pressure, landscaping, protection of significant natural and manmade features, lighting, and erosion and sedimentation control, compatible site design, safe pedestrian and vehicular access, protection of the natural environment, and compliance with the provisions of [Section ] Filing Requirements for Site Plan Review 16

17 Local Permitting Buffer Zone Compliance Town of Charlton Per state regulations, a Marijuana Establishment may not be located within 500 feet of existing public or private school buildings (935 C.M.R (D)) The town of Charlton does not have an ordinance regarding Marijuana Establishment buffer zones, so the state law applies The proposed location complies with the 500 foot buffer zone from existing public or private school buildings 17

18 Security and Diversion Prevention DPH and CCC regulations and best practices 24/7 control center of security and facilities staff Background Checks and Drug Screens (employee and contractors) Plant security includes: Access Control (card access and biometric access) Surveillance high definition cameras Intrusion Prevention gated perimeter zones Secured marijuana product in safes and vaults 18

19 Security and Diversion Prevention Seed-to-sale electronic tracking Each seed or clone is given a ID that is tracked through the entire chain-of-custody through the sale at retail establishment Secure disposal Marijuana and marijuana waste Emergency policies and procedures Securing all product in the event of emergency Law enforcement and fire services Will have view of security plans Director of security Oversee program on a daily basis Child-proof and tamper-resistant packaging Warning statements (on packaging and in-store) 19

20 Transportation State licensed Marijuana Transporters deliver finished product from grow site to licensed retailers Security detail and GPS tracking Estimated Van deliveries per day, per week. 20

21 Odor Control Greenhouses for cannabis plants are constructed similar to pharmaceuticalgrade clean rooms Incoming and outgoing air is treated and filtered. Air within the grow rooms is circulated 15x an hour using a closed loop HVAC duct system that filters, sterilizes, and controls temperature, humidity, and CO2 level All building exhaust points will be equipped with equipment to remove airborne organic compounds and remove odors Example, not final design Will work with planning board to develop odor standards including posting bond for additional engineering and remediation work if required Technologies being considered for include activated carbon filtering and bipolar ionization Municipality will have oversite and ability to address unforeseen impacts 21

22 Water Town Water will NOT be used for cultivation Water for cultivation Primary from rainwater collection Secondary from well water Wells have been tested, and are suitable for backup use 22

23 Power VGG will not adversely impact the grid Electricity will be generated on site using state of the art Cogeneration system Energy efficient growing systems reduce the load National Grid requires interconnection agreements to ensure no adverse effect on town power supply 23

24 Lights, Noise, Signs, Traffic Noise and lights sequestered to specific limited access areas and town bylaws Signage and lighting will conform to state and municipal guidelines Traffic study in progress to be presented to planning board as part of Site Plan Review Cultivation site and Dispensary have different locations with separate entrances and exits 24

25 Comparison to living next to an Orchard Orchard Cannabis Cultivation Pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides in air or water YES NO Fertilizer in waste water YES NO High security NO YES Stable well-trained and skilled work force NO YES Retail sales on site YES NO Minimal site visitors NO YES Minimal receiving of products NO YES Products shipped in secure unmarked vans NO YES 25

26 Real Estate Values in the Community No reduction in real estate values is expected Independent valuation expert s analysis Evidence based on independent studies from Colorado Communities were identified with permitted cannabis activities, which experienced 6 to 8 percent increases in property values All cultivation activities are secure and highly regulated 26

27 Medicinal Use Known for health effects for millenniums Banned throughout 20 th century Limited research Yet, significant anecdotal evidence has been gathered Helps cancer and HIV patients Controls seizure disorders in children Helps veterans cope with PTSD Non-lethal alternative to opiates Many other conditions under investigation 27

28 Science of Cannabinoids Autoimmune diseases Cancer Childhood Epilepsy Multiple Sclerosis Alzheimer's Disease The Health Effects of Medical Potential Cannabis and Cannabinoid (2017) found numerous Psoriasis Diabetes evidence for the medical properties of cannabis. Schizophrenia Crohn's Disease Parkinson's Disease 28

29 Selected References 29

30 Adult Use Facts No increase in youth use No increase in traffic fatalities Reduction of opioid fatalities Expanded economics: jobs, tourism, taxes 30

31 Youth Use Overview: Four major studies all conducted within the last six years by respected academic and professional journals or state funded government entities have concluded that states with adult-use marijuana SHOW NO INCREASE IN YOUTH USE: 1. The Lancet Psychiatry (2015) Medical marijuana laws and adolescent marijuana use in the USA from 1991 to 2014: results from annual, repeated cross-sectional surveys 2. American Academy of Pediatrics (2016) Adolescents' Ease of Access to Marijuana Before and After Legalization of Marijuana in Washington State" 3. CA Lt. Gov Gavin Newsome (2013) Youth Uprising Speech 4. CO, WA 2012 Study (2012) Medical Marijuana Laws and Teen Marijuana Use 31

32 Youth Use Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health 32

33 Traffic Fatalities OVERVIEW: Studies conclude no increase in traffic mortalities postadult use implementation AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (2017) CRASH FATALITY RATES AFTER RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN WASHINGTON AND COLORADO CONCLUSION: Three years after recreational marijuana legalization, changes in motor vehicle crash fatality rates for Washington and Colorado were not statistically different from those in similar states without recreational marijuana legalization. Future studies over a longer time remain warranted. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH (2017) US TRAFFIC FATALITIES, , AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAWS CONCLUSION: Both mmls and dispensaries were associated with reductions in traffic fatalities, especially among those aged 25 to 44 years. State-specific analysis showed heterogeneity of the mml traffic fatalities association, suggesting moderation by other local factors. These findings could influence policy decisions on the enactment or repealing of mmls and how they are implemented. 33

34 Opiate Mortality OVERVIEW: States that enacted medical or adult use marijuana laws experienced UP TO A 25% REDUCTION IN OPIOID MORTALITY RATES. Journal of the American Medical Association (2014) Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Analgesic Overdose Mortality in the United States, RAND BING Center for Health Economics (2015) Do Medical Marijuana Laws Reduce Addiction and Deaths Related to Pain Killers? Castlight Health (2015) The opioid crisis in America s workforce American Journal of Public Health (2017) Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, CONCLUSION: Legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths. As additional data become available, research should replicate these analyses in other states with legal recreational cannabis. 34

35 Opiate Mortality 35

36 Economic Benefit Jobs, Tourism, Taxes NEW JOBS Washington Post (2016): The marijuana industry created more than 18,000 new jobs in Colorado last year \Newsweek (2018): LEGALIZING MARIJUANA NATIONWIDE WOULD CREATE ONE MILLION JOBS, STUDY SAYS NORML (2017): Report: Legal Marijuana Industry Has Created 123,000 Full-Time Jobs Business Insider (2017): Legal marijuana could overtake manufacturing in job creation by 2020 TOURISM Denver Post (2015): Marijuana has huge influence on Colorado tourism, state survey says Positive Economic Impact: Business Insider (2017): 5 towns saved from ruin by the booming legal weed industry INCREASED TAXES Colorado collected $135M in 2015 $35M of that windfall went to schools Washington expects $154.6M in 2016 Oregon collected $3.5M in January of 2015 alone Aurora, CO is, for example, using $1.5M generated by local cannabis operators to combat homelessness 36

37 Development and Host Community Agreements * Will have an annual escalator of 2.5% Final number will be determined when engineering complete and planning board approval obtained. 37

38 Employment Charlton Residents offered priority for employment Construction jobs: Permanent jobs: 340 Cultivation Site 300 full-time jobs Retail Site 40 full-time jobs 38

39 Q & A 39