By K.B. Sherman, Contributing Writer
Shrewsbury – One year ago, in August 2014, the Shrewsbury Board of Selectmen were approached by John Glowik, who was seeking support for a proposed 41,000 square foot medical marijuana growing facility to be located at 28 Bowditch Drive. That discussion continued at the board’s Aug. 25 meeting.
In response to his request, selectmen issued a letter of non-opposition to the state Department of Public Health (DPH) but also made clear that they would not look favorably upon a subsequent request by Glowik to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Shrewsbury. Subsequently, no growing facility has opened in Shrewsbury.
In 2013, Glowik pitched a growing facility to the Grafton Board of Health. To date, nothing more has happened with that request.
Glowik is the president of Prime Wellness Centers, a medical marijuana dispensary based in South Windsor, Conn. He has recently been approved by DPH for Phase I and filed for Phase 2 on Aug. 20. For the final Phase 3, Glowik needs site approval at 235 Hartford Turnpike/Route 20 from the Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Board of Selectmen.
Glowik emphasized that most of the patients coming to his proposed dispensary would be middle-aged and elderly people with a doctor’s prescription for marijuana to treat severe chronic pain. He said the proposed location was good for serving people in the Shrewsbury-Grafton-Millbury-Auburn area. So far, there is no such dispensary in Worcester County. He said that he hopes to have a growing facility in Sterling up and running by the beginning of 2016, and with Shrewsbury selectmen’s approval, would have the dispensary open in mid-2016. He further explained that a dispensary would be operated as several separate companies, one for profit and one nonprofit.
Glowik already operates six dispensaries in Colorado, a location he describes as “unregulated and recreational.” He prefers, he said, the regulated environment east of the Mississippi, into which Massachusetts’ recent legalization of marijuana falls. He told selectmen that if the dispensary is approved in Shrewsbury, one of his experienced managers in Colorado will come here to run it.
He, along with his security manager, who is a retired Massachusetts state policeman, described at some length the security measures planned for a Shrewsbury dispensary. The Shrewsbury facility would include bank-like security and would accept cash only. His advisory staff includes several members of the late Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s staff as well as two pharmaceutical physicians from the Columbia University School of Medicine.
Selectman John Lebeaux had several questions regarding if the rules regulating Massachusetts marijuana use had changed since 2013, and how the delivery of and dispensing of marijuana would be handled securely.
Selectmen Maurice DePalo and Henry Fitzgerald voiced general concern over the idea of legalized marijuana and specifically over the idea of having such a dispensary in town.
Selectman James Kane admitted that regarding marijuana use, he “felt like a Neanderthal” in his gut opposition to the idea, but also felt he was coming around to accept the concept of its medical use after hearing about it favorably for the past two years.
Fitzgerald also admitted an initial personal uneasiness with the idea, especially as it might affect Shrewsbury. However, he noted, that after having watched a friend suffer in unrelieved pain over the length of an extended illness, he had come around to accepting the idea of pain relief through marijuana as perhaps a good thing.
Chairwoman Moira Miller then added that she had voted for the change in the law and was more ready to accept a dispensary in town as long as it was safe and operated properly.
Glowik also answered in the affirmative if the Shrewsbury chief of police and fire chief would be involved. He stated that their input and cooperation will be integral to both the planning and ongoing operation of the dispensary.
The board ended the meeting without taking any action on the request, but the members indicated that they were now more favorably disposed to the idea of a medical marijuana dispensary in town.
