GARDNER — The commencement of legal recreational marijuana sales in Gardner comes on Wednesday, March 6, as Sanctuary Medicinals has been given the green light to open.

“We couldn’t be more ready,” CEO Jason Sidman said Monday.

The dispensary, located at 16 Pearson Blvd., previously opened for medical marijuana sales in November of last year. Now both recreational (for people age 21 and older) and medicinal sales will take place at the same site, beginning at 10 a.m. when the store opens.

In late January, the state Cannabis Control Commission gave Sanctuary Medicinals its final licensure to operate its recreational dispensary, but a final sales-ready inspection was still needed, which Sidman said happened last week.

The Cannabis Control Commission then notified the company on Friday that it had passed that inspection and could commence sales. A final inspection for the company’s cultivation facility in Littleton to supply recreational marijuana also passed along the same timeline.

The dispensary’s hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

In an effort to control the flow of customers and maintain inventory, Sanctuary Medicinals has set up an appointment process for recreational marijuana customers through the company’s website. Customers are required to make an appointment prior to arriving at the store for purchase.

Medical patients, however, do not need an appointment and will have priority for service over recreational customers, according to Sidman.

Sidman also said the company is providing a police detail to help with traffic at the site, which has 50 parking spaces.

As for the products available, he said the store sells many different strains of cannabis flower, different concentrates including vape pens, and also edibles.

Upon arrival, he said customers will have their appointment and identification (such as a driver’s license) verified, and then be greeted by staff and educated about the available products to help make a selection.

Unlike medical marijuana, which is not taxed, several taxes are applied to recreational marijuana.

In total, consumers in Gardner will face a 20 percent tax. The regular state sales tax of 6.25 percent and a 10.75 percent marijuana excise tax are applied, and on top of that the city (through a vote of the City Council in 2017) adopted the maximum local tax allowed, which is 3 percent.

The city also has a Community Host Agreement with Sanctuary Medicinals that will give the city additional revenue beyond the taxes.

Mayor Mark Hawke said from the financial perspective, the opening of Sanctuary Medicinals is good for the city. He pointed out the company also made improvements to the site and building, which helps boost the real estate tax revenue.

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the potential social costs of legalizing marijuana, and Hawke said he still has “many concerns” in that regard, not specific to Sanctuary Medicinals but in the larger scheme of things.

He campaigned against legalizing recreational marijuana, and prior to that was also against legalizing medical marijuana.

But given the decision made by voters to legalize both, Hawke said the city is “going to try to handle it the best we can.”

It has been a long process for Sanctuary Medicinals to get this current point of having both medical and recreational sales at the Gardner dispensary.

Last year, the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals granted a special permit for the medical dispensary in May. In December, the Planning Board granted a special permit for the recreational dispensary.

While the location is the same for both, there was a separate approval process.

The company has waited the last few months for the state to give its final approval for recreational sales; the state granted that approval for medicinal sales last year.

Sidman praised the teamwork of Sanctuary Medicinals staff as well as the “tremendous amount of support” the company received from local officials and the Cannabis Control Commission in working through the permitting process.

While state voters — including a majority in Gardner — legalized recreational marijuana in 2016, it has taken a few years since then for the industry to take off.

State legislators passed a reform bill in 2017 making some changes to the Question 4 ballot measure that voters passed, and then it took significant time for regulations to be implemented.

But the news has picked up in recent months. Recreational dispensaries have been opening across the state since November of last year, and now Sanctuary Medicinals will become the first to open in Greater Gardner and the 10th statewide.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be part of it,” Sidman said.

Hawke had positive remarks about the company’s efforts to work with the city.

“They’ve been very upfront, open and accommodating about the entire process every step of the way. They’ve kept us abreast of the timeline for everything,” he said. “I’ve heard nothing but good reports from the Fire Department, Police Department, Building Department. … They’ve been a terrific neighbor.”