Fitchburg, Massachusetts, a relatively small town in Worcester County, has transformed into a marijuana juggernaut.
Garden Remedies, an old wire manufacturing factory converted into a cannabis cultivation operation, first moved to Fitchburg in 2016. Since then, six of his other companies have established similar facilities in the city, and he has six more planned.
“They have been very kind to us here in Fitchburg,” said Kyle Vigeant, vice president of Garden Remedies cultivation, as he gave us a tour of the Fitchburg facility. “And as you can see, there are a lot of weeds growing here.”
Fitchburg, with its history as a factory town for paper mills, shoe makers, and machinery makers, is a prime location for the emerging cannabis industry, which needs expansive buildings to house plants and room for chemical equipment while meeting industry safety standards. It is an ideal location. requirements. The marijuana industry has moved in as many of the manufacturing companies have exited.
“We're not actively hiring because we've laid the foundation and everything is in place,” said Mary Jo Borhart, Fitchburg's director of economic development. She said, “The location exists, the zoning is good, the process is smooth, and they keep looking for us.
“So, can we take a closer look? Maybe we should.”
Fitchburg has collected $4 million in tax revenue from its marijuana cultivation operations, according to tax records. Together, they occupy approximately 1 million square feet across the city.
Eight years ago, the city of Fitchburg was working long hours to meet deadlines for state-imposed cannabis zoning rules, unsure if marijuana was right for its community, and 42,000 people They were fighting with the residents.
The recently elected mayor is Samantha Squillier says more and more people are discussing this issue.
“What we've seen over the last six or seven years is very little negative impact on our community. But we've seen a lot of positive impact, impact on jobs and tax revenue. I’ve seen it,” Mayor Squiglia said.
However, the days ahead may continue to be uncertain. Falling cannabis prices and federal legislation threaten the industry's survival. In Fitchburg, that could mean cultivators closing or consolidating, or some cultivators in the pipeline never starting operations at all.
