Worcester Has Agreement with Marijuana Dispensary - A Look at the People Behind the Company

Thursday, March 17, 2016

GoLocalWorcester News Team

City Manager Edward M. Augustus announced Wednesday that the City of Worcester will provide a letter of non-opposition to Good Chemistry of Massachusetts, Inc. to locate a state designated “Registered Marijuana Dispensary” at 9 Harrison Street. The location used to house Salsa Storm Dance Studio.

The officers of the Good Chemistry, who are now close to opening Worcester’s first dispensary, are a combination of marijuana dealers from Colorado, a Harvard affiliated orthopedic surgeon, a pediatrician from Florida, and a Boston Lawyer.

The CEO of the company is an experienced marijuana dealer from Denver, Colorado. Matthew Huron who is the CEO of the company set up in Massachusetts to run the Worcester operation is described on the Denver-based company’s website as having, “15 years of experience in the marijuana industry and widely recognized as one of the most experienced cultivators of marijuana in the United States.”

CEO Matthew Huron

Who Runs the Company

Huron’s management team in Denver is also listed as the management team for the Worcester facility as well.

Duncan Cameron is the Chief Production Officer for the Denver company and is described as a “Master cultivator in the cannabis industry with experience in plant husbandry, advanced propagation techniques, grow room design, permitting, construction management, regulatory and environmental compliance, and staff training and management.”

The third member of the Denver-based company’s management team is former investment banker, Toby Nuber who is the Chief Financial Officer for Good Chemistry and reportedly, “leads all financial reporting, budgeting, capital expenditure planning, tax planning, investor relations, human resources and compliance.”

Other officers of the Massachusetts company include:

Boston Attorney, former legislator and lobbyist -- James Smith of Swampscott. He is a partner in the law firm Smith, Costello & Crawford and is a director in the corporate structure.

Harvard affiliated physician Adam Nazzal is listed as a director. He is orthopedic surgeon.

Florida pediatrician Gwen Wurm is also listed as a director.

Big Business

According to one Good Chemistry document, just one of the company’s locations in Colorado serves 25,000 customers a month. This is just one of Good Chemistry's holdings in Colorado.

Huron has also created an Limited Liability Corporation in Florida. At this time it is not clear what other business entities Huron and his team is investing in, in Massachusetts or other states.

“As a condition of receiving the letter, Good Chemistry has signed a community host agreement, that pays Worcester $150,000 a year for three years. The Worcester will also receive an escalating percentage of gross sales. Good Chemistry will also contribute $10,000 annually to public charities or causes of its choosing benefiting the neighborhood. “The agreement is believed to be the largest signed by a municipality with a Registered Marijuana Dispensary thus far in the state,” claims the City of Worcester.

Limit of Facilities on Worcester

As a component of the host agreement Worcester has agreed to approve no more than four Registered Marijuana Dispensary facilities. Any future approved facilities will be spread out across the City so no neighborhood has more than one.

"More than 60 percent of Worcester voters approved medical marijuana at the ballot box, and it's up to the City to ensure this program is rolled out safely and thoughtfully," said City Manager Edward M. Augustus, Jr. "This agreement ensures the City of Worcester, and in particular the neighborhood, sees substantial benefits from the deal. We will look to replicate this agreement with any other dispensary operators."

The letter of non-opposition is a requirement for Good Chemistry to submit a phase three siting profile to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health as part of their application process to open a dispensary.

In order to receive a letter of non-opposition, City Manager Augustus required Good Chemistry and any other company intending to establish a dispensary and/or cultivation facility in the City to:

1.) Host a neighborhood meeting at the proposed dispensary site in conjunction with the area district councilor

2.) Present their proposal at a City of Worcester interdepartmental meeting, involving the fire department, police, Inspectional Services, Economic Development, Public Health and the Office of the City Manager

3.)Sign a community host agreement with the City. Good Chemistry is the first company to meet all three requirements.

Good Chemistry will pay the City $100,000, plus 1.5 percent of gross sales revenue, during the first year of operation. In the second year, they will pay $150,000, plus 2 percent of gross sales revenue during the second year of operation. In the third year, they will pay $200,000, plus 2.5 percent of gross sales revenue in the third year and all subsequent years of operation in the City.

Related Slideshow: 10 Things You Need to Know About Marijuana Dispensaries in MA

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#10

The first marijuana dispensary didn't open in Massachusetts until 3 years after voters approved the use of the therapeutic drug.

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#9

June 29, 2015 was the first day that companies could apply to open dispensaries and over 50 applications were submitted.

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#8

The state has awarded 15 out of the allotted 35 applicants with the privilege of growing and selling medical marijuana.

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#7

So far, only six have been given permission to open their doors. :

- In Good Health in Brockton they plan to open later in the summer

- Alternative Therapies Group which was the first to open on June 24

- Compassionate Care in Ayer plan to open later in the summer

- New England Treatment Access (2) which will have its cultivation site in Franklin and dispensaries planned for Brookline and Northampton they plan to open in the fall

- Patriot Care in Lowell

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#6

In Good Health’s president says that their dispensary will open for business in weeks following on the heels of ATG..

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#5

Governor Baker wanted to revamp the medical marijuana licensing process and treat it like any other health care facility.

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#4

Previously, the state set deadlines for applications, then analyzed the entiregroup simultaneously. Now, the process will allow dispensaries to apply for licenses on a rolling basis, and each one will be scored individually.