Retail cannabis company presents proposal for agreement in Rochester

Jul 19, 2022

ROCHESTER – Representatives from cannabis company Megan’s Organic Market visited the Rochester Select Board on Monday to discuss the potential of a community host agreement.

While the Select Board opted to hold off signing anything in order to take a closer look at the proposal, the response was fairly positive.

“[The agreement] is straightforward,” said Town Counsel Blair Bailey. “From a location standpoint it’s about as far out and remote as you can find.”

“It seems pretty straightforward,” agreed Town Administrator Glenn Cannon. “I have no concerns.”

A community host agreement is a contract between the town and a cannabis company that outlines all the terms necessary for the cannabis business to operate.

This comes after the California company submitted a proposal last month, hoping to bring their recreational retail operation to Rochester.

They plan to locate on an undeveloped lot in the Rochester Commons development where they have a lease agreement. The site is directly adjacent to Interstate 495 near the Wareham line.

Rebecca Levesque, a marketing executive from Freetown who owns 10 percent of the operation in Massachusetts, was present, as was Kenneth Steen of Steen Realty and Development Corporation in Dartmouth, who owns five percent. Steen is the developer for the Rochester Commons.

“I have watched my family members suffer from illness and seen what cannabis has done for them,” said Levesque in her introduction. “I am passionate about reducing the stigma.”

Nicholas Andre, Chief Operating Officer of Megan’s Organic Market, was present via Zoom, attending the meeting during his honeymoon. He said that he is originally from Rhode Island, and has plans to move his family back to southern New England.

Andre reinforced Levesque’s goal of “reducing the stigma” surrounding cannabis, and explained that Megan’s Organic Market began as a medical delivery service in 2010 in California. Since then, “those values have made their way into their adult use storefronts.”

If Megan’s Organic Market is permitted to open a storefront in Rochester, they have committed to employing only Southeastern Massachusetts residents, giving “preferential hiring to Rochester residents.”

Andre stated that they will establish a “community fund” and will commit 1 percent of net sales to support it quarterly. They will establish a Community Advisory Board consisting of Rochester residents, consulting with the town when seeking members, who will discuss the best use of funds.

This is in addition to the 3 percent community impact fee that the town will receive from their total sales.

The town will revisit the community host agreement at their next Select Board meeting on Aug. 1.