Worcester Business Journal

18 Worcester Business Journal • April 11, 2016 www.wbjournal.com B OYLSTO N, MA T H EH AVE NC O U NTRYC LU B. C O M A Corporate Weekday Membership at The Haven offers you and your clients championship golf, award winning dining and warm hospitality, all within a prestigious private country club setting. T To learn more about membership or hosting a business event at The Haven, call Brian Dugan at 508-869-2000. Ho nored Tegra Medical is truly honored to be among the recipients of the inaugural Manufacturing Excellence Award. With two of our four manufacturing facilities located in Massachusetts, we're proud to be part of the area's rich history of manufacturing innovation and continuing commitment to a great community and its people. From prototyping to full production, Tegra Medical is where medical devices come to life. Thank you, Worcester Business Journal, for the Manufacturing Excellence Award Where medical devices come to life. Get to know us at www.tegramedical.com Copyright © 2016 Tegra Medical. All rights reserved. TEGRA_WBJ.award_ 4.3x 6_04.05.16.indd 1 4/6/16 12:53 PM Canal District cannabis still need state approval – the concerns of the Canal District Alliance fly in the face of the original worries about medi- cal marijuana. Safety and security now play less of a role while proper fit for the city's plans and neighborhoods are more crucial elements. "People hear the marijuana part and not the medical part. On a scale of 1-10, I'm concerned about medical marijuana as a 1 and alcohol as a 10. If you're in pain with all these illnesses out there, if this gets you through a day, [that's good]," said Dino Lorusso, owner of Crompton Place and the landlord for the Canal District mari- juana dispensary. Recreational pot remains illegal in Massachusetts -- Fletcher is not advo- cating for legalization -- but a Novem- ber ballot initiative is expected to de- cide whether Massachusetts joins the four other states were it is legal. Canal District The 9 Harrison St. site in the Canal District sits on a curve of the road, next door to the Alexis Grace Consignment shop. It's right in the heart of the district – just a few blocks away from the restau- rants and bars on Water and Green streets and directly behind the Crompton Collective – which the city hopes will play an integral role in the revitalization of Worcester and bring in a youthful demographic who want to work, shop, play and reside in Worcester. Medical marijuana dispensary Good Chemistry of Massachusetts, Inc. leases this property from Lorusso. This site is opposed to the location of the city's other planned dispensary from Prime Wellness Centers, which plans to open on Pullman Street near a big-box gro- cery store, an auto repair shop and other businesses more conducive to the drive- in, drive-out nature of a pharmacy. Despite the concerns from the neigh- borhood about a dispensary fitting the vibe of the Canal District, the founder of Good Chemistry said he was attracted to area because of the atmosphere it was trying to create. "That area is centrally located and ideal to provide for patients throughout the city and county of Worcester, and we really like the energy of the neighbor- hood, and it feels like an up-and-coming area," said Matthew Huron, who found- ed the Colorado-based Good Chemistry in 2010, in an email. Huron originally started and ran a California-based medical marijuana co-op to serve AIDS patients in hospi- tals and hospices, according to the com- pany. In 2014, the Boston Globe ran a story that men- tioned Huron got involved with medical marijuana after watching his father, James, suf- fer from and even- tually succumb to AIDS. "My grandpar- ents lived in Worcester for many years, and my dad went to Holy Cross, so when we were looking at Massachusetts, I had a personal connec- tion to Worcester, which brought us to look into that market," Huron said. Despite the concerns of neighborhood advocates, Lorusso – Good Chemistry's landlord – said the Canal District is a multi-use district and a dispensary will be a good thing for the neighborhood. Good Chemistry is a principled com- pany that will give back to the commu- nity, he said. "They have to donate $10,000 to the neighborhood. Right in the Canal District, they're going to be giving $10,000 a year," said Lorusso, who lives in the neighborhood. "It's a win-win for the city, the Canal District and Crompton Place. I really feel good about it." 2,000 patients John Glowrich, CEO of Prime Wellness, said based on his experience, Dino Lorusso, owner of Crompton Place and the landlord for Good Chemistry of Massachusetts Pending state approval, Worcester 's Canal District will be home to one of two medical marijuana dis- pensaries that have letters of non-opposition from the city. >> Continued from Page 1

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