Asked the City Manager to sign off on any Host Community Agreement for the purposes of filing an application with the State for an adult use cannabis retail establishment within the City of Cambridge, provided that said Host Community Agreement includes the maximum allowable taxation and relevant provisions that are substantially similar to or the same as those under which current medical cannabis establishments operate in the City

ORIGINAL ORDER

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission has finalized regulations for the cannabis industry in the Commonwealth; and The Commission will begin accepting applications for licenses to operate adult use cannabis establishments on April 1, 2018 and successful applicants will be allowed to open their doors as early as July 1, 2018; and Applicants will have to demonstrate to the Commission that: 1. they have held a community outreach meeting within the last 6 months 2. they have executed a Host Community Agreement with the municipality where they wish to operate 3. their proposed establishment is compliant with zoning bylaws and ordinances in effect at the time of application; and Under current zoning, the sale of adult use cannabis could be considered an approved retail use; and Regulations allow the municipality to levy an additional 3% tax through the Host Community Agreement; and Cambridge has already invested significant time and effort in writing and approving reasonable zoning bylaws and regulations for the operating of medical cannabis establishments in the city Ordinance 1387; and Cambridge currently has three medical cannabis dispensaries in successful operation; and No adult use cannabis establishment can open nor operate in Cambridge until the operator’s application is approved by the relevant City departments and the operator is granted a Certificate of Occupancy upon determination that the proposed establishment is in compliance with all zoning and other ordinances and bylaws in effect at the time of granting, including but not limited to any required changes to the Host Community Agreement; and Any delay in signing Host Community Agreements delays the ability for an operator to apply to the state by April 1, 2018, which potentially delays the opening of potential adult use cannabis retail establishments in Cambridge past July 1, 2018, even though plenty of time remains between now and then to establish zoning and other bylaws and ordinances regulating adult use cannabis sale in Cambridge; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to sign off on any Host Community Agreement for the purposes of filing an application with the State for an adult use cannabis retail establishment within the City of Cambridge, provided that said Host Community Agreement includes the maximum allowable taxation and relevant provisions that are substantially similar to or the same as those under which current medical cannabis establishments operate in the city; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to report back to the City Council on this matter.