PROVINCETOWN – Cape Cod’s first recreational marijuana dispensary may be opening as early as next week in Provincetown.
Curaleaf recently received a final license from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission to operate an adult retail location at 170 Commercial Street.
Curaleaf Massachusetts President Patrik Jonsson says the company hopes to receive a business license from the town on January 28.
“Hopefully, if all goes well we will have a soft open, most likely, the next day,” Jonsson said. “And then we plan on having a grand opening the first week of February.”
Jonsson said getting the project open in Provincetown has been a journey.
The company planned to open a location on the outskirts of town when it was applying for a different license.
The town made zoning changes for adult use and allowed operators to be in the Town Commercial Center.
“At that point we felt that it was in our best interest to relocate,” Jonsson said.
Parking was the major issue for Curaleaf. The company worked with the town to try to figure out parking logistics for the proposed Harry Kemp Way location.
“Being able to open on Commercial Street in the TCC was a much easier ask in that sense,” he said. “We are going to get a lot of customers walking up and down Provincetown. A lot more easy access for people visiting Provincetown.”
Jonsson said the company is also working closely with the town’s police chief regarding the opening to make sure his concerns are addressed.
Jonsson said opening in the offseason might be a blessing in disguise.
“We don’t know what the summer will entail quite yet, but we know that, obviously, opening in the offseason it will not be quite as busy as the summers,” Jonsson said.
Curaleaf began discussions with the town in 2016 and Jonsson said officials have always been in support of a facility. The company has worked with the town manager, planning board and select board.
“We have seen great support from them since day one,” he said. “I think the only fear is just the fear of the unknown.”
Jonsson said Curaleaf wants to make sure it does everything right and can be a model for other marijuana businesses on Cape Cod.
“We certainly don’t want to create any issues with the town or do anything that will negatively impact the Curaleaf image,” he said.
“We are very thoughtful in how we go about it and we want to be respectful for everyone involved – the neighbors, community and such.”
Curaleaf is based out of Wakefield, and Jonsson said the company is close to being the largest multi-state operator in the world.
Curaleaf Massachusetts opening up a medical facility in Hanover in 2017.
Its second location in Oxford was opened in April 2018, originally as a medical marijuana dispensary. An adult use license was received for that facility and since November it has been a co-located shop.
Provincetown will be the second recreational shop. A third recreational shop is planned for Ware, between Springfield and Worcester. That shop has an anticipated opening by the end of the first quarter of 2020.
The company cultivates and manufactures product in Webster.
“When we launch these stores we will be able to, mostly, support it using our own product,” Jonsson said.
The company will also bring in third party product.
“We want to have a good selection and I think that is what everybody would expect as well,” he said.
Jonsson said he hopes to find local partners for the Provincetown location. The company is meeting with T. Bear, Inc. in Wareham, which is seeking to cultivate and manufacture marijuana products.
“In a place like Provincetown, we want to source local products,” he said.
Curaleaf recently held a job fair and more than a dozen employees were hired for the Provincetown location.
“They are now currently being trained by folks from our other dispensaries on all things retail related, compliance and such,” Jonsson said.
Additional job fairs will be held before the summer season.
Offseason hours will most likely be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Jonsson expects the hours of operation to increase to 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the late spring for the summer season. In the late fall, offseason hours will likely be reinstituted.
“We are very excited and it has been a long time coming for sure,” he said.
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