Bill Stilphen is looking to open Bill’s Herbal Care, a medical marijuana store at 26 Centre St. in downtown Bath, across the street from Southgate Family Restaurant. Photo courtesy of Ben St. John
Another medical marijuana store could be coming to downtown Bath, just around the corner from the city’s first medical marijuana dispensary.
The planning board granted site plan approval Tuesday for Bill’s Herbal Care, owned by Bill Stilphen, to open a medical marijuana store at 26 Centre St., across the street from Southgate Family Restaurant.
The store would open in the ground level of the 750-square-foot property, which used to be a hair salon. The second and third floor of the building will remain residential units.
Building owner Benjamin St. John said he believes the addition of another small business will be good for downtown Bath, despite marijuana being a controversial product.
“Doctors prescribe this, and I think it’s important to remember that rather than second-guess the doctor or patients’ decision,” said St. John. “I think this is a good business for the downtown and we should be encouraging more small businesses to come to Bath instead of micromanaging. Businesses that aren’t needed won’t stay long, and time will tell whether Bill’s business is successful, but I think it will be.”
Stilphen still needs to earn a local retail marijuana license from the city council, then receive a final license from the state before it can open, said City Planning Director Ben Averill.
Averill said Stilphen’s store is the fifth marijuana store to gain approval from the city. However, only one recreational store and one medical store, Highbrow at 139 Leeman Highway and Bath Cannabis Company at 735 Middle St., respectively, have opened to the public.
Averill said Highbrow has also gained approval for a medical marijuana store next to its existing recreational store, but the company hasn’t taken steps to begin renovating the property.
Another recreational store, Port City Relief at 115 Leeman Highway, has earned approvals from the city, but development has stalled, said Averill.
Averill said he hasn’t received other applications for marijuana businesses.
Stilpen, 69, used to work in construction, then opened his first medical marijuana store, Maine Medical Canna Connection in Berwick, last year to support his retirement and found he enjoyed the industry.
“I want to try to help the local people, and I have quite a few steady customers,” said Stilphen. “Some of these people are in their 80s. I have a woman who’s 70-years-old with cancer and she uses it. I also have some younger kids with medical cards who come in with their parents.”
Though Bath already has marijuana stores, Stilphen said he believes there’s room for another.
“At my other store, there are five marijuana stores within a 5-mile radius,” said Stilphen. “There’s already a medical store and recreational store in Bath, but it’s like any other business. We just pray everything goes right.”
Though medical stores require a medical marijuana card to purchase the products, Stilphen said medical cannabis is usually cheaper than recreational cannabis.
Stilphen said his new store will employ three or four people and sell marijuana flowers, edibles, and oils.
The building’s façade will be refurbished. Bath’s retail rules also require recreational and medical marijuana stores to install security measures, including 24-hour surveillance, and passers-by shouldn’t be able to smell marijuana from outside the building.
According to the application, the store is located more than 500 feet from schools, childcare facilities, substance use rehabilitation or treatment centers and city parks — meeting municipality requirements. The new store will also be within a mile of Bath’s two operating marijuana stores but is more than 300 feet from the other stores. Stilphen’s store is also the farthest into downtown Bath a marijuana business can be, according to the city rules.
Stilphen said he hopes to get renovations underway, secure necessary licenses, and be open to the public within the next two months.
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