Plymouth will be the site of a medical marijuana dispensary, and former U.S. Rep. William Delahunt promises it will represent the “gold standard” in terms of compliance and operation.

PLYMOUTH – Plymouth will be the site of a medical marijuana dispensary, and former U.S. Rep. William Delahunt promises it will represent the "gold standard" in terms of compliance and operation.

Delahunt, a Plymouth resident, is the president and public face of Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts (MMM), which the state announced Friday will receive three "provisional licenses" to operate marijuana dispensaries: one in Taunton; one in Mashpee; and the third dispensary to be located at 9 Collins Ave. in the Plymouth Industrial Park.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, the selection of dispensaries was based on the quality of the applications.

"This was an objective, merit-based process guided by state procurement principles," a statement accompanying the list of winners stated. "An expert review by ICF International scored the applications in areas including public health, security and strength of business plan. The expert review determined the score for each applicant, based on a scale of 0 to 163 possible points."

The scores of qualifying applicants were all 137 or higher, but each of MMM's applications received a score of 160 points, the highest of any of the applicants.

"I think the score demonstrates, first, that these decisions were merit-based," Delahunt said, "and secondly, that the team we have assembled is truly remarkable. It's up to us now to prove that over time, and I am confident that we will."

The MMM team includes former senior law enforcement officials, several medical professionals and others with, as Delahunt said, "years of experience dealing with drugs and addiction."

Delahunt also acknowledged that it was important the team included local people already recognized for their local civic engagement, including former Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce President Kevin O'Reilly.

Delahunt said he was very excited about the success of the Plymouth application.

"I spend a lot of my time here. This where I live," Delahunt said. "And the community has been very welcoming."

The Board of Selectmen was also very welcoming.

As part of the second round of applications, organizations were encouraged to seek letters of support or non-opposition from the executive branch of the communities where they planned to site their facilities.

The letters were not required in order for their proposals to gain final approval, but they would enhance the second-phase proposals.

Of four groups who initially sought the town's recommendations, only MMM received a letter of support. One other applicant, Mass Organic Therapy, received a letter of non-opposition but was not selected for a license.

Despite its high scores from the state, the MMM team was never overconfident, Delahunt said, and sweated out the last few days before the announcement.

"There was a lot of uncertainty, as this was the first time the state had undertaken an effort of this kind," Delahunt said, "and it was also a very rigorous, demanding process."

There won't be any let up now though, Delahunt said Friday. In fact, he said, he expects the next five months will require a non-stop effort to meet the state's expectation that all dispensaries are operational by July 1 of this year.

"We have a great facility in the industrial park, with good access to Route 3, located well outside of any residential areas. But now there is a lot of preparatory work to be done," Delahunt said.

The non-descript steel building where the dispensary will be located will have to be modified to both cultivate and dispense marijuana and will provide a high level of security for both operations, 24-7.

Delahunt said he believes that if this is done right – "And I am confident it will be," he said – this can provide a partial answer to the epidemic of subscription painkiller abuse that is going on now throughout New England and the country.

"Overdose deaths from these painkillers is steadily increasing and now account for more deaths than heroin and cocaine combined," Delahunt explained. "We have to provide alternatives that are not as dangerous as the painkillers that are devastating communities in Massachusetts and across the nation."

First things first, though, Delahunt added. MMM is going to immediately move forward with its plans for a dispensary at the site, always keeping the community in mind.

"I make a public commitment to the community, a promise that we will not disappoint," he said. "We will be the gold standard for compliance and how these dispensaries operate."

There were actually four dispensaries approved by the state associated with Plymouth residents. Besides MMM's three approved dispensaries, a dispensary to be located in Cambridge will be run by The Greeneway Wellness Foundation, whose CEO is Plymouth resident John Greene.

Greene is also the owner and operations director of Adaptonic, an herbal company headquartered in Marshfield.

Follow Frank Mand on Twitter @frankmandOCM.