Within the past year, six of Massachusetts’ cannabis stores have closed, including two in Northampton. Their beef is with the fourth charge: the additional 3 percent Community Impact Fee that Massachusetts cities and towns were free, but not required, to impose as part of their Host Community Agreement with each dispensary. As of June 29, Great Barrington has collected $6.29 million in impact fees, over 80 percent of which—or about $5.1 million—has come from Theory Wellness alone. The business has stopped paying their quarterly impact fees, and they want most of the money they’ve paid in fees to be returned back to them. Fact is, the Community Impact Fees were established at a time when no one knew what the community impacts would be.

Source: Forbes July 12, 2023 11:35 UTC