AGAWAM – Following a public hearing the Agawam Planning Board voted to support a proposed marijuana cultivator zoning amendment.

Currently, the town code permits cultivation for medical marijuana. The medical marijuana business requires a vertical integrated business model, which refers to the process of the state gaining control over more steps of the product production stream whenever a business obtains or can greatly influence any one of these steps along the process of producing and selling a product.

The proposed amendment is for further expansion because most of the calls that planning and community development are getting are businesses that are interested in trying to expand their marijuana business and they are looking at Agawam,” Solicitor Steve Buoniconti said.

Some of the calls are to repurpose the Chez Josef property for the marijuana business. The cost would be about $12 to $18 million to retrofit if they wanted to use this facility. This is not including cost for air quality.

The medical marijuana is not to be sold to consumers in the town. They want to expand the medical marijuana ordinates to now allow for the cultivation either for medical or recreational use still prohibiting any of the sales.

Buoniconti stated he wanted to try to give some of these businesses that want to expand in Agawam an opportunity to utilize those industrial zones.

“Our intention is not to allow people to start plowing and growing marijuana plants as much as that is permitted. We are concerned about the public safety aspect, so if this exception was to be adopted it is for indoor growth only,” Buoniconti said.

He also stressed the seriousness about the controlling of odor emitting in the neighborhood and the type of signers that are permitted.

The applicant would have to go through a team meeting and comply with all the regulations regarding public safety and perimeter.  As part of the application from the state you need to be able to prove there is a demand. The facilities will also be licensed by the state.

Currently there are a grow and recreational facility in Holyoke, Easthampton, and other eastern parts of the state, Buoniconti said.

The board voted to make a favorable recommendation.