AUGUSTA – While six applications have been submitted for the marijuana dispensary district that includes Franklin County, only two are asking the state to base operations here.
The state Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Licensing and Regulatory Services is currently reviewing the 29 applications submitted to run medical marijuana dispensaries across the state. The state has said that, at least initially, a single dispensary will be approved for each of the eight districts. Franklin County is in District 3, along with Oxford and Androscoggin counties.
Patients suffering from a variety of conditions, who get a written recommendation from their doctor, can participate in the program and use an identification card to purchase up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana at a dispensary. Alternately, they can purchase seeds and grow up to six plants.
The two companies that have applied to the state for a dispensary in Franklin County have done so with the same property in mind; unused office space in a building next to Dexter Supply in Wilton on Route 2.
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Lucas Sirois, of Farmington, is the listed applicant for “Ahead Care.” He is hoping to open a dispensary with business-partners Chad Crandall, Alisa Sirois and Mike Danforth, and successfully received conditional approval from the Wilton Planning Board on June 3 to open a dispensary on the Wilton Road. Ahead Care had also expressed interest in the old Rite-Aid building in Farmington, but was unable to get approval from the local planning board prior to the submission deadline on June 25. If Ahead Care’s application was granted, it is possible the state would allow them the chance to open the dispensary at the Farmington location instead of the Wilton one.
Sirois of Ahead Care has also submitted two other applications, for dispensaries in Farmingdale and Sanford. Those would be located in District 5, the central Maine district, and District 1, the York County district, respectively.
The other local applicant is Timothy Smale, of Vienna, who is hoping an application he filed under the name “Remedy Compassion Center” will be the one approved by the state. Smale, who filed with the Wilton Planning Board jointly with Jennifer Smale, his wife, asked the board to approve the dispensary contingent on state approval. The Wilton Planning Board unanimously approved their site review application at last night’s meeting.
There are four other applicants for District 3, all of them outside of Franklin County. Three of these are in Androscoggin County: “Maine Medical Marijuana Supply,” “Green Therapy of Maine” and “Northeast Patients.”
Maine Medical’s application was submitted by Glen Peterson of Poland, and would be located in Poland. Green Therapy’s application was submitted by Sherri LaPointe of Poland Springs, and would be located in Poland Springs.
Rebecca DeKeuster of Augusta, has submitted a third application for Northeast Patients, which would be located in either Auburn or Poland. DeKeuster has submitted other applications for four dispensaries throughout other districts in the state.
The sixth applicant for District 3 is Fred Kessler of Cornish, who is proposing to operate the “Maine Patient’s Center” in Cornish, in York County. Kessler has also filed applications for District 1 and District 2, proposing a central distribution center for all medical marijuana dispensed in western and southwestern Maine.
Each applicant was required to send an application fee of $15,000 to the state for each proposed dispensary. Should their application be rejected, all but $1,000 is returned.
The state has announced that the DLRS’s decision on which applicants receive licenses will be made on July 9.
