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.