Page 4 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, NOVEmBEr 6, 2026 Saugus welcomes its first adult-use marijuana dispensary on Route 1 By Mark E. Vogler W ith the grand opening of its adult-use dispensary at 181 Broadway (Route 1 South) last Friday (Oct. 30), Sanctuary Medicinals became the first retail marijuana business to open in Saugus. Employees dressed in Halloween costumes joined in the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the site of the former Ninety-Nine Restaurant & Pub that closed in the spring of 2022. Later, the visitors were treated to a Halloween-themed SPOOKTACULAR, which featured food and entertainment. “A lot of veterans use marijuana for pain relief,” said state Rep. Donald Wong (R-Saugus), one of the local officials who participated in the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Saugus Selectman Anthony Cogliano. “I think it’s great for them to have this as an alternative,” Wong said. It was an unusual business opening, which featured the distribution of a small plastic orange dinosaur cigarette lighter holder to the first 100 customers – a local tribute to the giant orange dinosaur which has become a Route 1 landmark. “It’s a tribute to Saugus,” said Liv Wells, the lead marketer. “We hope to become the flagship store in Massachusetts. We’re here in Saugus with stores in Woburn, Danvers and Gardner,” she said. Wells noted that the company has gone to extraordinary measures to create a relaxing atmosphere inside its newest adult-use retail dispensary. There’s a special sanctuary area in the corner, with a sign welcoming visitors to pose and take photographs. It’s decorated with a mix of real and artificial plants. “We wanted Santa’s Workshop Artists & Crafters Wanted 630 Salem Street Knitting & Crafts Club Annual Holiday Craft Fair November 14, 2026-9:00AM to 3:00PM Vendors and Crafters-Call for a Table Contact Grace: 781-605-3536 $25.00 Per Table Baked Goods For Sale First Come First Serve! All Are Welcome! 630 Salem Street Community Room Enter on Columbia Street Door RIBBON CUTTING: Sanctuary Medicinals celebrated its grand opening last Friday (Oct. 30) with a Halloween-themed event. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) to mimic an Erlenmeyer flask, which is the company logo,” Wells said. Sanctuary Medicinals describes itself as “a licensed, vertically integrated company” with a state-of-the-art multi-level cultivation and processing facility located in Littleton, Mass. It has three medical dispensaries and three adultuse dispensaries operating in Massachusetts. It also has operations in Florida, New Hampshire and New Jersey. In December of 2023, Sanctuary Medicinals became the first marijuana business to receive a special permit (S-2) under town zoning bylaws, on a 4-0 vote by the Saugus Board of Selectmen. The company was only one of two candidates that received a recommendation from the seven-member Marijuana Establishment Review Committee (MERC) for the S-2 permit. The business received a total of 118 points out of a possible 140 in a scoring system. “The Respondent’s proposed location is advantageous, and its extensive cannabis experience and current vertical integration business model are significant benefits,” the committee concluded in its analysis. “The Respondent has a multi-level cultivation and processing facility in Littleton, along with three medical dispensaries and two adult-use retail dispensaries operating in Massachusetts. The site visit to the medical dispensary in Danvers was professional and well-run,” it continued. Sanctuary currently employs more than 20 team members in Saugus with plans to expand its workforce as the business AN AREA FOR RELAXATION: Liv Wells, the lead marketer of Sanctuary Medicinals in Saugus, stands in a giant Erlenmeyer flask, which is the company logo. The store invites customers to take photos inside the giant flask, which is lined inside with real and artificial plants. (Saugus Advocate photo by Mark E. Vogler) continues to grow, according to Kera Duguay, director of retail. “We are committed to creating meaningful employment opportunities and prioritizing local hiring whenever possible,” Duguay said. “As we establish our roots in Saugus, we look forward to continuing to build a team that reflects the community we are proud to serve,” she said. The building, assessed at about $2.2 million, will result in about $48,000 a year in property taxes. MARIJUANA | SEE PAGE 7 Monogram D4 Double siding Cedar impression half rounds Harvey Vinyl Replacement Windows Custom Aluminum Trim work Windows & Doors Top quality Vinyl Siding! •Vinyl Siding •Carpentry Work •Decks •Fully Licensed •Fully Insured Everett Aluminum Supplies Celebrating 67 Years in Business Since 1958! ws
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