Patients with prescriptions for medicinal marijuana in Melrose and surrounding communities will soon be able to get it right in their backyards.

The new Garden Remedies dispensary on Newburyport Turnpike, just on the Melrose side of the borders with Malden and Saugus, will begin operations with a grand opening on Friday, Oct. 12.

The company, which already operates a dispensary in Newton, said the southeast corner of Melrose zoned for medical marijuana was an attractive spot for its second location.

"In terms of medical marijuana, it’s a really underserved area of the state," said COO Jeff Herold, who was also impressed with the city’s stringent selection process. "We had a meeting with the city about two years now, and we really appreciated the in-depth process they used."

The series of meetings with city officials and subcommittees took time, but the process was worth it on both sides, Herold said.

"We like to go into communities that treat this seriously, and where we know our experience will shine," he said. "We think Melrose really fits with our other location as far as clientele and access."

The city stands to reap hundreds of thousands of dollars a year under the community host agreement signed by Garden Remedies. But the company aims to provide more than financial contributions.

"We’re a great neighbor, we’ve been in Newton for a few years, and received letters of support from many of our abutters," said Herold. In Melrose, "we’ve joined the chamber of commerce, we’re constantly looking for ways to help with the city, whether that’s with charitable giving or volunteering. We really took the opportunity in Melrose as much as possible to hire local."

Herold said that of 16 staff members hired so far, 25 percent, or four people, are residents of Melrose, with most of the rest living in nearby communities. They’re quality positions, he adds.

"On average, these positions pay higher than average retail wages," Herold said. "We’re always accepting applications, and you can apply through our website, gardenremedies.com."

Garden Remedies strives to be a good neighbor in other ways, Herold said: providing medical marijuana to sufferers of a range of ailments is a valuable service, and one that doesn’t come with the kinds of strings some people associate with the practice.

"It’s a real focus of our company on education, and redefining those myths that are associated with us," he said. "A lot of it has to do with that it’s an unsafe operation, or it’s going to bring bad people into the area. What a lot of people find is that the average cannabis user is not much different than the rest of the population."

A well-run medicinal dispensary is the last place someone seeking illicit marijuana should come, Herold said; that’s if they can even find the nondescript location.

"You’re literally going to show your medical card and ID three times before you’re let in to purchase," he said. "What is fortunate or unfortunate for us is that a lot of residents in Newton don’t even know we exist."

Those with legitimate reason to be there—that is, those a doctor has decided will benefit from marijuana’s medicinal properties—will find a professional, helpful resource.

"It’s a highly secure and welcoming atmosphere," said Herold. "We’re founded by a doctor, so a big part of our mission is education. Patients can expect a knowledgeable staff that can answer any questions that they have."

Garden Remedies plans an expansion into recreational marijuana sales in Newton, and just secured permission from the city for that move. Its plans for Melrose remain open, due in part to the moratorium on recreational sales that extends until the end of this year, and the uncertainty over the city’s future policy on adult-use marijuana.

"We’re looking to branch out into recreational in Newton, we actually received our special permit approval for that [Monday] night [Oct. 1], and we’re just waiting for state approval," Herold said. As for Melrose, "We like to wait to see how these things work out politically. We don’t have a direction in mind, we’re really focused on serving patients in the area."

Grand opening

The public is invited to the grounds of Garden Remedies for the grand opening of its Melrose dispensary, at 732 Newburyport Turnpike, on Friday, Oct. 12, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Food will be provided, along with music and other entertainment, and staff will be on hand to answer questions about medical marijuana.