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HULL – The town is set to get its first medical marijuana store in a former coffee shop with approval of the state Cannabis Control Commission.
Stephen Werther, president of Alternative Compassion Services, said the process to open a store in Hull was drawn out by the pandemic. He needed to transform the former Java Jungle coffee shop at 175 George Washington Blvd. into a medical dispensary, but construction was slowed down during the pandemic.
While Werther has the OK from the state to open, officials need to still do one final inspection.
“We’re at the finish line and we hope, within a couple of weeks, the state will come through here, then give us the OK to bring product in and open,” he said.
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Werther and his company operate a store, grow house and laboratory in Bridgewater. Medical marijuana stores are required to be vertically integrated, meaning Werther can only sell products that he grows and makes himself.
“We cultivate more than we can sell alone in Bridgewater, so we supply our own needs,” he said.
Recreational marijuana stores were banned in town following a Hull town meeting vote in 2018.
Inside the Hull store, there are eight cash registers and an estimated capacity of six to eight customers at a time, as well as an entryway where people can wait.
“It’s not giant, but it’s not tiny,” he said.
Parking is limited, but for the amount of people he expects through the door, it is ample.
“On average in Bridgewater, we get 150 people a day and I would expect, eventually, Hull would be similar,” Werther said.
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Werther said he gets regular calls asking if the store is open yet.
“People know we’re here, but it takes a little bit of time for business to ramp up,” he said.
Werther has little competition in the area. The nearest stores to Hull are the medical store Curaleaf in Hanover, two recreational stores in Rockland and a large medical store in Quincy called Ermont.
Werther said he expects to get customers from Hingham, Weymouth, Cohasset, Scituate and Norwell, and said the summer crowds heading to Hull could further bolster sales.
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Werther said he plans to hold an open house in February before officially opening.
“I’m very happy,” he said. “I couldn’t be happier. It’s a difficult and time consuming and lengthy process. That’s just what it is.”
Interested in marijuana shops on the South Shore? Check out more of our coverage
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Dec. 18, 2021, Marshfield:Former Buckles and Boards location in Marshfield is now home to South Shore Buds
Dec. 10, 2021, Quincy:‘A great place for us’: Quincy’s first recreational marijuana shop could open next year
Dec. 5, 2021, Braintree:Is a medical marijuana dispensary coming to Braintree?
Nov. 21, 2021, Kingston:Marijuana shop seeks approval for new location in Kingston
Nov. 3, 2021, Randolph:Randolph voters OK tax hike for new elementary school, say no to recreational marijuana
Aug. 27, 2021, Bridgewater:Cannabis dispensary Theory Wellness, with Bridgewater location, to pay $300,000 over payroll violations
July 22, 2021, Hanover:Marijuana company tried to bust union forming at Hanover dispensary
July 18, 2021:Marijuana home delivery services launch in Massachusetts
June 19, 2021, Norwell:Norwell approves agreement with marijuana cultivation facility
May 13, 2021:Are South Shore pot shops paying too much to towns? The legislature investigates
Aug. 6, 2020, Rockland:South Shore’s first recreational dispensary opens in Rockland
Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@patriotledger.com.
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