Avon Select Board Hears First Medical Marijuana Pitch, Weighs $180,000 Annual Fee

AVON -- July 22, 2021, Avon Select Board receives first-ever medical marijuana pitch, with $180,000 annual fee on the table. Insa Inc., a Massachusetts-based vertically integrated cannabis operator, presented a proposal Thursday to open a medical-only dispensary at 20 Stockwell Drive, the former Staples building, in Avon's industrial park. Special counsel Kate Federle guided the board through the host community agreement framework, noting it would expressly limit operations to medical cannabis in keeping with Avon's adult-use ban. Insa CEO Peter Gallagher and general counsel Steve Reilly projected roughly $6 million in annual gross sales, generating approximately $180,000 per year to the town through the state-mandated 3 percent community impact fee, with 15 to 20 full-time jobs starting at $18 per hour. The board took no vote on the agreement, instead directing the company to hold a public community outreach meeting within three to four weeks and agreeing to post presentation materials on the town website.