The community impact fees account for nearly half of the $6.7 million the town has collected. The town has taken in more than $6.7 million in cannabis-related revenues dating to fiscal year 2019, when Theory Wellness, the first recreational dispensary in the Berkshires, opened. “And we are spending the money specifically to target negative impacts,” he said. Theory Wellness, on Route 7, north of downtown, said in a statement to The Eagle: “We are actively listening to this discussion, however our focus is on our operations and providing world-class service to our guests.”ĭavid O’Brien, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association marijuana industry advocacy group, has called the impact fee levied by towns across the state “legalized extortion.”Ībrahams, the Select Board’s point person for cannabis businesses in Great Barrington, assured the board Monday that the town legally is collecting and distributing the fees, all according to guidelines set by the state Cannabis Control Commission and according to the town’s agreement with marijuana businesses. “There’s certainly room to assess what the impact is and how best the cannabis operators can support their community.” “Many host communities have evolved after having operational businesses and assessing the impact,” Farnsworth continued. on Main Street, said the impact fee has been used in town for “some very great initiatives, but on the other hand, as a small, family-owned-and-operated business that’s operating under a difficult tax reality with razor-thin margins, that it certainly doesn’t make it any easier for us to be a successful business. “I’m optimistic we can one day adapt Host Community Agreements to reflect the true nature of our industry’s community impact.”Īlexander Farnsworth, of Farnsworth Fine Cannabis Co. “Drive down Main Street in Great Barrington, and you will see the overwhelmingly positive impact the cannabis industry has had - creating hundreds of jobs, investing in people and real estate, bolstering property values and attracting more regional visitors,” Charlotte Hanna, the founder of Rebelle, on South Main Street, said in an email to The Eagle. Two said they hope the town eventually will reevaluate the fees. In Great Barrington, three of the four marijuana businesses in town were willing to comment to The Eagle this week about the impact fee. “They talk to customers and make sure they get what they need.” Those who prefer to minimize their interactions can pre-order products from the dispensary’s site and then pick them up in person without having to wait in line.“Drive down Main Street in Great Barrington, and you will see the overwhelmingly positive impact the cannabis industry has had - creating hundreds of jobs, investing in people and real estate, bolstering property values and attracting more regional visitors,” said Charlotte Hanna, the founder of Rebelle, on South Main Street. “They’re just like a bartender,” says Higginbotham. For more information on the different strains, visitors can approach one of the “budtenders” manning the counter for more information. As a result, alongside the more typical products that you’d expect to find at a dispensary, things like vapes, seltzers, edibles and tinctures, are luxury goods like leather “stash bags” for carrying your products.īehind the counter, a giant menu board displays the names of the “flowers” currently on the menu. Opened by three NYC-based women-Charlotte Hanna, Geraldine Hessler and Penelope Nam-Stephen-in the middle of the pandemic in September, Rebelle is meant to be something akin to a cannabis wellness and lifestyle brand. “To provide a visual representation and the smell.” “That’s a huge feature for us,” says Kenny Higginbotham, Rebelle’s General Manager. Next to each canister, a placard provides more information on what’s on display as well as the plant’s general effect on a user. Along the length of the bar, glass canisters contain different varieties of buds that guests can examine, see and smell. One of the most striking features of Rebelle is a long bar that runs underneath a window on the far wall. That’s carried through into other parts of the Berkshires dispensary as well. It’s clear that the space is geared toward educating consumers as much as selling them products-something that may be especially helpful for those new to marijuana. Giant posters throughout the space provide information on THC and the cannabis plant through custom-made graphics and diagrams. Not only about specific products which are organized by type and given illuminating descriptions, but also about cannabis in a more general sense. One of the first things you notice upon entering Rebelle, currently the closest cannabis dispensary to the New York state border, is how informative it is.
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