Community Outreach Presentation: January 17, 2019 Who We Are - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Community Outreach Presentation: January 17, 2019

Who We Are

Verdant Medical, Inc. is a marijuana establishment that seeks to provide high-quality cannabis products to patients and customers in Massachusetts. We are committed to the safety

• f our products, comfort of our clients, and betterment of
• ur communities.

Verdant is led by a team of lifelong public servants with a deep-rooted commitment to social justice, community enrichment, and regulatory development and implementation. Our success in fulfilling our vision will be measured by patient wellness, health and satisfaction, team member happiness, and local and larger community involvement.

April 20, 2016

Tito Jackson is a lifelong resident of Roxbury’s Grove Hall neighborhood and is the son of Herb and Rosa Jackson, two beloved community activists. As the former District 7 City Councilor, he represented all of Roxbury and parts of the South End, Dorchester and Fenway neighborhoods. Prior to being elected to the Council, Tito was the Industry Director for Information Technology in Governor Deval Patrick’s Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development where his portfolio focused on creating and sustaining jobs within Massachusetts and helping local businesses grow. As a member of the Patrick Administration, Tito brought 2,500 jobs to Massachusetts. Tito is the founder of the Tito Jackson Community Fund, which has directly invested $450,000 into the Boston community. Tito is an active leader in youth development programs such as Citizen Schools and Anytown/The Leadership Initiative and sits on the board of multiple

• rganizations, including Heading Home, the Global Citizens Circle and the Boston Ballet.

Verdant is seeking to operate three marijuana establishments that

• ffer products to eligible adult-use consumers as well as enrolled

members of Massachusetts’ Medical Use of Marijuana Program. Verdant has received a Special Permit to operate a co-located adult use and medical retail store in Provincetown. Verdant is seeking a Special Permit to cultivate, process, package, and dispense medical and adult-use marijuana in Rowley, Massachusetts. Verdant is applying to operate a co-located medical and adult-use facility at 1589-1593 Blue Hill Avenue.

Our Business Goals

The City of Boston’s Zoning Code regulates where Cannabis Establishments can be located within the City of Boston. In the City

• f Boston, Cannabis Establishments refer to both marijuana retail

establishments and medical marijuana treatment centers.

Where can marijuana be sold in Boston? 1

Zoning: A property must be zoned to allow cannabis establishments by conditional use. All establishments will be required to apply for a permit from the Inspectional Services Department and Zoning Board

• f Appeal.

2

Buffer from Schools: Marijuana establishments may not locate within 500 feet of the property line of any pre-existing K-12 public or private schools.

3

Buffer from other Establishments: Marijuana establishments may not locate within 0.5 miles of the property line of other Marijuana Establishments.

Obtaining a Host Community Agreement in Boston

1 Application to the City of Boston’s Office of Emerging Industries 2 Zoning refusal from the City of Boston’s Inspectional Services Department 3 Applicant-driven meetings with local civic, business, and philanthropic

• rganizations

Notice and conduct a Community Outreach meeting.

MUNICIPAL REQUIREMENT MUNICIPAL REQUIREMENT MUNICIPAL REQUIREMENT LOCAL & STATE REQUIREMENT

4

LOCAL & STATE REQUIREMENT

4 5 City of Boston determines whether the applicant is suitable to sign a Host Community Agreement SUITABILITY CRITERIA MAY INCLUDE 1. Experience 2. Site Suitability 3. Economic Empowerment / Local Business Owner 4. Community Feedback

Local Permitting and State License Approval Process

Submit an application to the Cannabis Control Commission

CITY OF BOSTON CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION

Submit ISD Long Form Application Cannabis Control Commission certifies application is complete Cannabis Control Commission votes to issue Provisional Certificate of Registration Applicant receives long form permit Applicant submits and receives approval of Architectural Review Plans After completion of construction, City issues Certificate of Occupancy Commission inspects facility and grants license to sell

Liquor Stores vs. Cannabis Establishments

LIQUOR STORES CANNABIS ESTABLISHMENTS HOURS OF OPERATION

On-premise sale is allowed at all times except 2 AM to 7 AM Monday – Saturday and 2 AM to 10 AM Sunday Varies depending on company and local licensing authority, but Verdant proposes between the hours of 10 AM – 9 PM

EASE OF ACCESS

Customers can gain access within store directly from door Customers are “buzzed in” from the streetscape and must meet all criteria requested in secure vestibule

VERIFICATION OF ID

At point of sale To gain access within facility and at the point of sale

ACCESS TO PRODUCT

Products line shelves and are

• btained directly by consumer

Sample products displayed in shatterproof cases. Final orders compiled by customer service representative.

• Underutilized parcel in the midst of

a commercial corridor

• Zoned appropriately and is not

located within 500 feet of any pre- existing K-12 schools

• Patients and customers will receive

access on Blue Hill Ave; Deliveries and staff access will occur securely through rear of building

• Substantial existing landscaping

buffers from nearby residential sites

1589 Blue Hill Avenue– Site Suitability

• Ample on-street parking in area close to proposed facility
• Located on numerous bus lines, including 28, 29, 31, 33, 24,

27, and 30

• Will create 30+ salaried full-time careers that are above

minimum wage and offer benefits. Commitment to hiring 50 percent from the immediate local community, and 20 percent from individuals with drug-related CORIs

• Proposed hours of operation: 10 AM – 9 PM

1589 Blue Hill Avenue– Key Operational Attributes

Security Overview

Ensuring the safety of customers, employees, and the surrounding community is the chief priority of our team.

1 2 3 5 4

CONTROL FACILITY ACCESS POINTS MAINTAIN INTERIOR SAFETY OF CUSTOMERS AND STAFF PREVENT DIVERSION TO

UNAUTHORIZED

PARTIES PREVENT NUISANCE TO NEIGHBORS AND THE COMMUNITY CONTINUALLY REFINE PROTOCOL TO ENSURE SUCCESS

Security Protocol: Access Control

• The dispensary will be monitored live by security on site during all hours of
• peration by numerous security personnel in both the dispensary and cultivation

facility.

• Security staff will enforce strict access control procedures on the co-located
• dispensary. Loitering, public consumption, and other nuisance behaviors will be

prohibited on site.

• Security systems will include extensive video surveillance with integrated alarms.

Video surveillance will be present throughout the exterior of the facility, all doors and windows, and any interior portion of the facility that will contain marijuana. Alarm systems will include intrusion detection sensors on access points including doors and windows. Video and alarms will be monitored 24/7 by FTG Security’s

• ffsite team. We will work with local law enforcement to ensure the best possible

surveillance coverage and to provide access to camera feeds.

• Alarm systems will remain operational in the instance of a power outage.

Security Protocol: Interior Safety

• Access to different points of the facility is maintained through a tiered access

card system. Access can be revoked instantly electronically.

• Products will be located in locked, secure vaults under video surveillance. No

more than the anticipated inventory required for two days will be stored on site.

• Duress, panic, and hold-up alarms will be located strategically throughout the

facility.

• Security agents will monitor the interior and exterior of the facility on alert for

suspicious behaviors. They will be trained on Standard Operating Procedures to respond instantly in crisis situations.

Security Protocol: Preventing Diversion

All marijuana and marijuana products are tracked by weight from seed-to-sale by a sophisticated tracking system. Through this program, Verdant staff and state officials have access to intimate details about the life cycle of each plant, including each individual that has interacted with it during stages of the growing, processing, transportation, and retail processes. Employees who divert product, intentionally or negligently, will be terminated immediately and reported to law enforcement. Customers who divert product will be banned from the facility and reported to law enforcement. Verdant’s marketing and branding efforts will be targeted towards adults. Our products will not resemble realistic or fictional human, animal, or fruit, including artistic, caricature, or cartoon renderings. Visitors to our website will be required to verify that they are over 21 years of age. Verdant’s hiring and training process will be designed to reduce the potential for product diversion with a heavy emphasis on customer education.

Our success as a cannabis operator is a direct reflection of our commitment to the surrounding community. Staff and security personnel will undergo rigorous training to implement a series of Standard Operating Procedures to ensure that they are educated about on-site safety protocol, safe transportation and storage

• f product; prevention of diversion to unauthorized parties; and

prevention of neighborhood nuisance. Consumption of marijuana on-site or in the immediate neighborhood will not be tolerated. Anyone found in violation of this provision will be reported to law enforcement and not allowed back. Local business owners and residents will be given the direct contact information of our local dispensary manager, who will be on call to address and immediately remedy any issues that arise.

Nuisance Prevention

Upon their first visit to our facility, customers will sign a ‘Community Norms Agreement’ indicating that they have been educated on how to appropriately consume, transport, and store their product. They also indicate that they understand that the following behaviors will not be permitted on site or in the community at large.

• Any disturbance of the peace
• Public consumption of cannabis
• Illegal activity under state or local law
• Excessive littering
• Excessive loitering or pedestrian / vehicular traffic
• Illegal parking or violations of state and local traffic laws
• Queuing of patrons or other obstructions of the public or private way

All products will arrive pre-packed from Verdant’s Rowley cultivation facility, limiting any odor on site. Signage will be discrete and for the purposes of wayfinding only.

Nuisance Prevention

• Through the signing of a community host agreement, annual revenue

for the City that can be directed towards community priorities.

• Tax revenues through Boston’s local option agreement.
• Active participation in local civic, business, and philanthropic
• rganizations.
• 30+ new full-time, well-paying local jobs.
• Workforce training and financial literacy programs.
• A robust outreach program to ensure that the community has an
• pportunity to express their concerns and learn more about the project.
• Heighted year-round use of local retail and service businesses.

Our Commitment to Boston

Our Commitment to Amherst Questions?