Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, JUnE 20, 2025 A pot shop on hold it’s been 18 months since the Board of Selectmen issued a special permit to Sanctuary Medicinals to locate the first retail marijuana business in Saugus, but company officials don’t know when they will be able to open their store By Mark E. Vogler I t’s been more than a year since a state Land Court judge dismissed part of a lawsuit against the town which challenged the legality of the special permit (S-2) obtained by Sanctuary Medicinals to locate a retail marijuana dispensary in Saugus. “Sanctuary is free and clear from litigation now, so we’re happy with this ruling,” Saugus Attorney Peter Flynn told The Saugus Advocate last June. 8 Norwood St. Everett (617) 387-9810 Open Tues. - Sat. at 4:00 PM Closed Sun. & Mon. Announcing our Classic Specials Dine In Only: * FREE Salad with purchase of Entree, Tuesdays & Wednesdays * Cheese Pizza - Only $10 Catch ALL The Live Sports Action On Our Large Screen TV’s Scan & Follow Us on Facebook! AN ARTIST’S RENDERING: This is Sanctuary Medicinals’ conception of how its future retail marijuana dispensary at 181 Broadway (the southbound lane of Route One) will look during the nighttime once its construction has been completed. (Courtesy art to The Saugus Advocate) “Our clients are just looking forward to setting up a host community agreement with the town manager and moving forward on this soon and hope to take this to the town manager within days,” said Flynn, who had been working as a legal consultant for Sanctuary. But representatives of Sanctuary said during a Community Outreach meeting at the Saugus Public Library on Monday (June 16) that the meeting that Sanctuary officials hope to have with Town Manager Scott C. Crabtree still hasn’t taken place and they don’t know when it will. www.810bargrille.com Everett Supplies Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Celebrating 66 Years in Business! •Vinyl Siding •Free Estimates •Carpentry Work •Fully Licensed •Decks •Roof ng • Fully Insured • Replacement Windows www.everettaluminum.com Now’s the time to schedule those home improvement projects you’ve been dreaming about all winter! “The process to get a license from the Cannabis Control Commission takes months,” SanctuIN THE COMMUNITY ROOM: Representatives of Sanctuary Medicinals held a Community Outreach Meeting at the Saugus Public Library on Monday. From left to right: Sierra Wear, director of operations; Kera Dorian, director of sales and marketing; and Mike Allen, director of security. (Saugus Advocate Photo by Mark E. Vogler) ary’s Director of Security, Mike Allen, said. “But we can’t do anything until we get the Host Community Agreement. It is holding us up,” Allen said. It usually can take up to eight months from the time a company obtains its S-2 permit from the municipal licensing authority, according to Allen. But it’s taking much longer in the case of Sanctuary’s plans to locate a retail marijuana business at 181 Broadway (the southbound lane of Route One) in Saugus. Sanctuary obtained its special permit (S-2) in December of 2023 from the Board of Selectmen. That was about 18 months ago. “We’re hoping that the end of the line is coming very soon,” Allen said. “I had a brief conversation with him. I was encouraged by the conversation I had with him,” he said. But Allen and other Sanctuary representatives attending Monday’s Community Outreach meeting said they don’t yet have a date with the town manager to sign the Host Community Agreement and they don’t know the specific reasons for the holdup. The Saugus Advocate reached out to the Town Manager’s Office for comment and was awaiting a response at press time. POT SHOP | SEE PAGE 11 Spring is Here!
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