CHARLTON – An off-site marijuana dispensary in town could be operational next year.

Attorney James A. McMahon is seeking a letter of non-objection from selectmen to locate a marijuana dispensary on Route 20 at Masonic Home Road.

Mr. McMahon is a director for HealthWise Foundation Inc., a nonprofit wellness collective founded in Massachusetts.

At a recent board meeting, Mr. McMahon told selectmen his organization’s hope and business plan is to expand the dispensary to sell recreational marijuana when permitted to do so by the state.

For now, the company is in the third stage of its application for a state permit to sell medical marijuana and if all goes as planned, the dispensary shelves in Charlton will be stocked in about a year.

Mr. McMahon told selectmen the letter of non-objection is not a nod of support but is needed to proceed with the state permit application.

HealthWise Foundation, he said, is preparing a 153,000-square-foot marijuana cultivation, packaging and processing facility in North Brookfield.

The company has an agreement to purchase the vacant building facing Route 20 and the two parcels behind it. The building was selected for its proximity to the North Brookfield growing facility and the Charlton police station.

The company’s first choice for the 1,000-square-foot concrete building at 46 Worcester Road is to renovate, but if that’s not possible it will raze and rebuild.

Building plans include state-of-the-art security, such as 360-degree security cameras indoors and out, with a live feed into the police station.

Planning Director Alan I. Gordon said the site is zoned Community Business and the dispensary will require Planning Board administrative site plan review.

Mr. McMahon said once the state issues a permit, six months are needed for growing and harvesting and another month for curing and testing. The processed, packaged items would be transported from North Brookfield in an armored car.

The planned operations mode is “just-in-time inventory,” a manufacturing practice that aims to deplete dispensary inventory daily, and replenish with a new shipment each morning. In other words, emptied shelves for the overnight hours.

Mr. McMahon said the state will conduct thorough background checks on employees before granting a state-issued dispensary agent card. Sales will be restricted to person age 21 and over, who a pre-qualified by the state.

Selectman Rick C. Swensen said he believes a dispensary will open whether it’s in Charlton or another town along the Route 20 corridor.

“I think the company that does it properly and does it well, as Mr. McMahon seems to be going in that direction, I think they are going to win and they are going to get their facility open,” he said.

Town Administrator Robin L. Craver and interim Police Chief Daniel R. Charette met with Mr. McMahon and have been researching agreements and conditions for dispensaries in other communities.

Chief Charette told selectmen he inspected the North Brookfield facility being constructed at 60 Prospect St. and was comfortable with the security measures HealthWise is instituting.

Ms. Craver said provisions in a host agreement would include the formation of a citizens advisory group made up of town officials, business owners and residents; a local hiring preference, and a remuneration agreement.

State law, she said, enables the host town to collect 2 percent of the dispensary’s sales revenue.

Ms. Craver plans to present a non-objection letter and a host agreement for selectmen’s consideration at the April 11 meeting.

Residents wishing to comment are asked to contact the selectmen’s office.

Mr. McMahon could not be reached for additional information or comment.