While Advesa MA was granted a marijuana retailer license by the Licensing Commission, a number of provisional conditions are yet to be met before their doors can open.

By Joe Creason

In an August 2 special meeting, the Licensing Commission granted the owners of Advesa MA a major step on their way to establishing a recreational cannabis dispensary in Somerville. The Commission awarded the Economic Empowerment priority applicants a marijuana retailer license, with several conditions, including that they must first receive a long list of approvals from other Somerville entities before the license is issued.However, for the owners of Advesa MA, this is just another phase in their journey to carry messages of economic opportunity, reparative social justice and health wellness to the neighborhood of Ball Square

While Advesa’s story to become a part of the Somerville community fabric starts in November 2018 with the passing of the City’s Adult Use Cannabis Licensing and Zoning Ordinance, Advesa’s owners have a long history of socially conscious work in the cannabis industry.

“We founded Advesa with our primary mission of implementing a dispensary that embodied the economic empowerment mission of repairing the harms done by cannabis prohibition through employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals,” said Advesa part-owner Jessica Pelletier.

Pelletier says her career in the world of cannabis started in 2013, when she applied for a dispensary license in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Though her efforts were stymied by a moratorium on dispensaries implemented by the local planning and zoning committee, Pelletier says this was an experience that would prepare her for the future.

“As a result of learning so much throughout this process, I decided to go into Cannabis Consulting just as the industry was coming into existence. There was a lack of qualified Cannabis Business Professionals, especially women cannabis professionals at the time so the demand was certainly there,” Pelletier says.

After gaining more industry experience working with public and private companies, Pelletier applied for Economic Empowerment Priority Status with her husband Tony Verzura and longtime business partner Michael Latulippe with the Cannabis Control Commission in 2018.

“Because each of us individually has engaged in successful social justice efforts related to cannabis, we were successful in obtaining Economic Empowerment Priority Status. Part-owners Shanel Lindsay, Tatiyana Benjamin, and Isiah Benjamin were also certified Economic Empowerment Applicants, and had earned their own certification for a variety of contributions to social justice efforts,” said Pelletier.

Pelletier says Somerville is one of only a handful of municipalities that have placed priority on the Cannabis Control Commission’s social equity program which the Advesa team is a part of, and Somerville’s deliberate action to ensure social equity plays a role in the cannabis licensing process made them confident in their application in Ball Square.

“Our organization actively wants to make a positive difference in the community we operate in, and when our team came across the SomerVision plan with its focus on diversity, sustainability, and innovation we knew we had found a great fit for one of our retail stores,” Pelletier said.

The Advesa team was also enticed by prospects for future growth in the Ball Square neighborhood, promoted by provisions in the SomerVision plan for further utilizing public transportation and sustainability.

Pelletier says that Somerville city officials have been very welcoming and accommodating throughout the application process, especially given that adult use cannabis licensing is a recently implemented procedure that carries certain nuances for all parties involved.

“It is a new industry, we’re all trying to feel our way through it by adopting best practices from other states and municipalities,” said Licensing Commission Chair Joe Lynch.

Lynch says that adult consumption of cannabis has popular support, with 73 percent of the Somerville population voting in favor of recreational use. It is the job of Somerville municipal entities as a planning apparatus, to develop a valid host agreement for hopeful retailers, determine the need of the city and assess any need the general public has stated.

“I see this is a business like any other business that comes before the Licensing Commission,” Lynch said, “some approvals will be easier than others depending on location and other factors,”

While Advesa was granted a marijuana retailer license with conditional approval, both the Licensing Commission and the owners of Advesa acknowledge that these conditions are not unusual and were heavily influenced by input from the residents of Ball Square.

“Due to the high level of public engagement with this particular licensing process, it should be known that just because Advesa received conditional approval, doesn’t mean it is a done deal,” Lynch said.

Conditions such as operation by appointment only for the first 6 months and the restriction of contracts involving armed private security guards, are the preferences of the Licensing Commission and surrounding neighborhood as there is no precedent for the potential community effects of a store like Advesa in Somerville.

“The conditions only come into play, if we receive all of our local and state approvals. The conditions are effective upon the issuance of the license,” Pelletier said.

Pelletier says they are hopeful about the prospects of receiving the license, and if they are successful in obtaining the full range of approvals, Advesa will embody the SomerVision plan of sustainability, diversity, and social equality in Ball Square.

“We intend to give back to the neighborhood and participate in every possible activity that will encourage a reduction of stigma towards cannabis businesses. We will hire individuals from the neighborhood who were harmed by cannabis prohibition and give them the dignity and pathway forward they deserve in life,” Pelletier said.

The owners of Advesa say they are extremely grateful to everyone who has shown support to them throughout the licensing process, and they believe that it is extremely encouraging to see the wealth of support both from the Ball Square neighborhood, both residents and businesses, and the residents of Somerville as a whole.

Advesa will hold its next neighborhood Q & A over zoom on September 22 at 6:00 p.m. For those interested in attending, please visit shopblueriver.com/events.