The Braintree Town Council approved a zoning change that clears the way for a minority-owned marijuana business to apply for permission to open a cultivation and processing facility with delivery service.
The council voted 6 to 3 on Aug. 2 to change the zoning to allow non-retail marijuana businesses in the town’s highway-business-and-commercial zones, which includes a long-vacant parcel on Ivory Street near the Braintree MBTA station. Flower Xpress chief executive Dru Ledbetter has said her company wants to open a marijuana facility on the site.
Flower Xpress, which incorporated at the end of 2021, describes itself as “the first Afro Latina led cannabis cultivation, manufacturing and delivery company in Massachusetts.”
Town officials said the zoning change was not intended for a specific business, and that Flower Xpress, which had requested the change, can now apply for a special permit from the Braintree Planning Board.
Planning Director Melissa SantucciRozzi said the company had not applied as of Aug. 8.
The proposal elicited considerable discussion from councilors and the public.
Supporters argued that a marijuana facility would bring millions of dollars to the town in fees and excise taxes. Opponents questioned the revenue estimate, and worried that the business would smell, adversely impact traffic and water and sewer systems, and encourage drug use among the town’s youth.
Johanna Seltz can be reached at seltzjohanna@gmail.com.
