Barre is briefed on outdoor marijuana growing, soon to be legal

BARRE – Massachusetts farmers may soon have a new cash crop to green up the balance sheets of the family farm.

James A. McMahon, representing the Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association, gave selectmen an overview Monday night of regulations being promulgated by the Massachusetts Cannabis Commission that will license the outdoor cultivation of marijuana.

Mr. McMahon told selectmen Charles R. Chase and Matthew Urban that he has found strong interest among Worcester County farmers for adding cannabis to the crops they are already growing.

To facilitate the idea, he said, he recently had been meeting with local officials in neighboring towns, the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission and the state Dept. of Agricultural Resources to pave the way for that possibility.

Barre currently has a moratorium on the retail sale of marijuana.

Mr. McMahon said his intent in making the rounds of agricultural communities in northern Worcester County was to obtain feedback from town officials, listen to concerns, find common ground and establish ad hoc task forces to explore local outdoor cultivation.

The consultant said that in developing the recreational marijuana program, the growing of marijuana outdoors was one of the Cannabis Commission’s more innovative ideas.

He said, “Until now, marijuana has had to be grown inside a pharmaceutical-grade facility at significant expense. In California, Oregon and Colorado, people are growing organic, safe, regulated, cannabis with a return of about a million dollars an acre.”

He added that for smaller communities with an agricultural base, this could be a productive match that preserves public health and public safety, and the character of the town, yet speaks to a community’s agricultural heritage.

“There is still the 3 percent revenue share off the million dollars an acre, as well as the host community agreement that address some of the intangibles like quality-of-life concerns.”

The consultant said regulations for outdoor cultivation for recreational use would allow for safe, non-intrusive marijuana growing operations on farmland either owned or leased. Regulations would include perimeter fencing, security cameras, and background checks for all personnel involved. Cannabis fields would not be visible from any public way, he told the board.

Mr. Chase said he was not opposed to the idea and would put it on the agenda of the January meeting of the Board of Selectmen, when Selectman Greg O’Sullivan, who was absent Monday, would be present.

“There’s a lot to digest,” he told Mr. McMahon.

Local farmer Phil Stevens of Carter & Stevens Farm said the town Agricultural Commission should be involved in the discussion, as it represents the interests of the local farming community.

Dennis Fleming, Planning Board chairman, said board members were already at work on zoning regulations regarding marijuana that will be presented to voters at the annual town meeting in the spring. Mr. Fleming said public hearings on the zoning changes were planned.

Mr. McMahon said the state Department of Agricultural Resources was already considering logistical and technical assistance that could be provided to the state’s farmers in the growing of marijuana and hemp.

“At $400 a pound for organically-grown cannabis cultivated outdoors, this is a crop that could truly save the family farm,” Mr. McMahon said.

He said he didn’t believe the cost of meeting the regulations for outdoor cultivation would represent an obstacle for most farmers interested in growing marijuana.