Worcester Left Without Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Monday, June 30, 2014

Nicholas Handy, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

After being provisionally approved for a medical marijuana dispensary in Worcester, the Department for Public Health announced in a press conference last week that only 11 of the initially announced 20 dispensaries had made it on to the next phase of approval.

While the dispensary in Worcester was denied, the Department of Public Health stated that 97-percent of the state will be within 30 miles of a dispensary in the state. While the state feels that is an adequate distance, many advocates are upset.

“Having a dispensary within thirty miles does not represent ease of access for most patients,” said Matthew Allen, Executive Director for Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance (MPAA). “In some parts of the state, thirty miles can mean several hours of travel, which is prohibitive for many patients without access to transportation or with health conditions that limit their ability to drive or access public transportation.”

The 11 dispensaries that advanced past the verification phase will now make it on to the inspection phase. After the inspection stage, the approved dispensaries could open as soon as soon as November. Currently, the closest dispensaries to Worcester would be Northhampton, Milford, and Ayer.

Too Little, Too Late

While happy to see some dispensaries moving on in the process, Allen feels that the approved dispensaries are “too little, too late.” Because of the gaps in coverage, Allen says that Boston, as well as Central Massachusetts and Berkshire County will all be underrepresented.

Allen is worried about the patients of Massachusetts who rely on medical marijuana because the state has been dragging on the process of approving licenses. The state law set forth a schedule which the state has not been following; at least one dispensary was supposed to be registered in each county by January 2014.

“Only 11 of the original 181 applicants are being allowed to proceed,” Allen said. “That so few dispensaries are being granted provisional licenses, so late in the process, raises the concern that the process is driven by politics over patient need.”

More Dispensaries Will Open

While only 11 dispensaries were approved last week, the Department of Public Health stated that they have identified five additional applicants that could help to gain more coverage for dispensaries across the state.

The state will begin to vet the other applicants so that they can find a dispensary for each county, per requirement of the law. Although the process has been taking a while, the state feels that thoroughly checking each applicant to make sure they are the right fit isn’t a bad option.

“This process is designed to ensure only the highest quality applicants advance to meet the patient access and public safety needs of the Commonwealth,” said Karen van Unen, Executive Director of DPH’s Medical Use of Marijuana Program. “Those advancing have passed comprehensive background checks and investigative reviews. Prior to opening, each must comply with all inspection and municipal requirements.”