Sayra Small (left) and Kelli Small (right), co-owners of Farley’s Cannabis Farm in Woolwich, stand with their dog, Farley, the store’s namesake. Kathleen O’Brien / The Times Record
Woolwich officials approved the town’s first recreational marijuana store on 4/20 — an unofficial holiday for cannabis users.
Farley’s Cannabis Farm, a medical marijuana store on Route 1 in Woolwich, was granted a local license to sell recreational marijuana.
The store needed local approval to get an active state license.
Sayra Small, co-owner of Farley’s Cannabis Farm, said Wednesday she isn’t sure whether the store would transition to offering only recreational marijuana or sell both recreational and medical marijuana. Small said she’s also not sure when the business will begin offering recreational marijuana if she choses to do so.
Select Board Chair David King Sr. said he’s confident Farley’s Farm will “run a good, clean operation” based on how they’ve run their medical marijuana store.
“Whether you think (marijuana) should be legal or not is your personal opinion,” said King. “I think they’re going to do a good job with it and they’ll be responsible.”
Small said she wanted to secure both a medical and recreational retail license in case the stage changes the requirements or process businesses must go through to gain a retail license.
Woolwich also only allows three recreational marijuana stores in the town, “and we want to make sure we’re holding one of them,” said Small.
Only one resident spoke in opposition of the store Tuesday.
“We live in a stoner generation,” resident Greg Doak said. “Smoking dope, like drinking, is not a family virtue. I just think it’s crazy and it’s going to be the ruination of our culture.”
King said it is the board’s duty to act based on the wishes of the town.
“Regardless of what our personal feelings are on the board, we work for the townspeople,” King said. “They approved it, we approved it.”
Residents voted 136-51 to allow recreational marijuana retail stores in town last August. However, a maximum of three recreational retail shops can open on Route 1 between the Taste of Maine restaurant and the Sagadahoc Bridge that connects Woolwich and Bath.
In February, the select board unanimously approved Seagrass, the town’s first recreational marijuana cultivation enterprise. Founders Stephen Elie and Edward Ney said they plan to open a 7,000-square-foot facility on a 4.2-acre plot at 46 Sam Moore Road.
After Mainers voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2016, the state required each municipality to draft and approve their own regulations for recreational marijuana use and business.
Neighboring Bath, Brunswick and Bowdoinham opted in, permitting any recreational cannabis businesses. In Topsham and Georgetown, recreational marijuana growing, manufacturing and testing are permitted, but retail stores aren’t allowed.
Nearby West Bath, Phippsburg and Wiscasset haven’t given any recreational marijuana businesses the green light. However, Phippsburg voters may opt into allowing one or more types of recreational marijuana businesses at the annual town meeting in June.
The Maine Office of Marijuana Policy has received 257 recreational marijuana retail applications from across the state. Of those, 25 have received an active license, according to David Heidrich, director of engagement and community outreach.
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