Select Board lambastes Nature’s Remedy for lack of progress, holds off on HCA transfer

Every town Nature’s Remedy has approached about transferring their Host Community Agreement to Jushi Holdings has essentially rubber-stamped their request.

And then they came to Grafton, a town which has approved five HCAs since 2016 and has yet to see a single marijuana establishment open.

Grafton, where Nature’s Remedy is now on its fourth request for for a permit extension at 8 Millennium Drive, where they plan to build a marijuana cultivation and processing facility — but have yet to put a single shovel in the ground, even as they’ve opened retail establishments in Millbury and Tyngsboro, as well as a cultivator in Lakeville.

“What i’ve just heard is you don’t have any plans, or schedule, or process… that can assure the town of Grafton that you’re actually going to build something,” Select Board member Ray Mead told representatives from Nature’s Remedy and Jushi Holdings, the multi-state cannabis company with which it will merge in October.

The Select Board held off on deciding on the transfer for two weeks until the two companies return with more concrete plans for Grafton.

“We want business in this town. We want you to build this building,” Mead added. “But I don’t want to transfer a license that’s going to sit on a desk for four or five years and then Jushi is going to sell it to someone else.”

Matt Leeth of Jushi Holdings said funding is difficult to raise in the marijuana industry, which hindered Nature’s Remedy’s ability to grow in Grafton.

 “We are certainly interested in moving forward in rapid fashion,” he said.

Leeth, however, was unable to commit to a time frame, calling it premature. “This is a supply and demand business and the business needs more supply,” he said, assuring the board that the Grafton project, which calls for 60,000 square feet of grow space, is very important to the company.

Select Board member Colleen Roy pointed out that Nature’s Remedy came before the board in May 2019 with Marchetti Industries, which was approved for an HCA for marijuana sales, also at 8 Millennium Drive. While company representatives noted that they are no longer involved with Marchetti, Select Board member Doreen DeFazio said that since Marchetti has not terminated its HCA for the same space, it complicates any transfer of Nature’s Remedy’s HCA.

“Essentially we’re trying to roll out the red carpet for you guys and nothing is happening,” Select Board member Mathew Often said.

The companies go before Planning Board Monday to request the extension of its site permit. It returns to Select Board on August 17.

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