HANOVER - In a 4-1 vote, the Hanover Planning Board approved the site plan for Mass Organic Therapy’s proposed medical marijuana dispensary Monday night.

The dispensary would be located at 2001 Washington St.



A draft of the proposal was presented Monday night to selectmen, who will need to approve a community benefit agreement between the town and Mass Organic Therapy. The town, the police department and Mass Organic Therapy have been negotiating the agreement for weeks.



“We spent some back and forth trying to come out with all the proper terms and I think we came to something that works for both sides, and hopefully the selectmen believe so too,” said Patrick Johnson, CEO of Mass Organic Therapy.



Hanover selectmen will review the draft of the agreement and take it up at a future meeting. The agreement details a financial agreement with the town, outlines security measures, and makes it clear that if recreational marijuana passes on the ballot this fall, Mass Organic Therapy would still only sell medicinal marijuana.



The current draft stipulates Hanover would receive $50,000 the first year of operation from the company, and $125,000 for the second and third years. Licenses are issued for three-year periods.



Johnson said Mass Organic Therapy hopes to open its Hanover location by the end of the first quarter in 2017. The marijuana would be grown at a facility in Webster, and the company plans to sell it at locations in both Hanover and Oxford.



Johnson said that while he understands that people may have reservations about his business opening in town, his intentions are pure.



“It’s such a controversial issue, or topic. I feel like everybody has a right to an opinion. I have mine and I certainly can’t convince everyone, so all I can try and do is educate people and answer any questions as honestly as I can,” he said.



“Hopefully time will tell and two years from now they’ll realize that we’re just part of the community and nobody is any worse off, and we’ve given back more than was expected. That’s our goal.”



Follow James Kukstis on Twitter @MarinerJamesK.



