Ryan Holmes of Sundog Caregiving LLC speaks about licensing for marijuana cultivation facilities at a Topsham selectmen meeting Thursday. Darcie Moore / The Times Record

TOPSHAM — Topsham selectmen granted a marijuana cultivation license to Sundog Caregiving LLC to grow marijuana at 248 Augusta Road.

It is the first marijuana business license granted since the town approved new licensing rules at the May town meeting.

“There’s going to be a learning curve for everyone I think,” said Town Planner Rod Melanson.

Sundog Caregiving of Topsham is a medical cannabis home delivery service. As a state-licensed caregiver, owner Ryan Holmes can now grow up to 60 plants in a 500-square-foot space.

The local license approval hinges on him getting a state cultivation license. State applications for marijuana business licenses became available Thursday.

Holmes said construction at his cultivation facility is nearly complete. He plans to eventually have medical marijuana and adult recreational marijuana cultivation in separate growing space.

Advertisement

“It is a very new process for a lot of people,” Holmes said. “It can be very complicated and convoluted to some if you’re not deeply involved in it.”

The new cultivation facility will allow Sundog to market increased product lines and to serve more patients.

Holmes said he will continue to work with medical marijuana patients but eventually wants to tap into the adult recreational marijuana market, which can draw profit faster.

Newly-elected selectman Matthew Nixon noted that the rulemaking has been a long process since recreational marijuana was legalized by Maine voters in 2016.

“I’m very happy that you stuck with it,” Nixon told Holmes. “That shows quite a bit of resilience, especially with all of the constantly changing regulations, or lack of regulations.”

The regulations are necessary, Holmes said.

“For so many years people have taken a box and they’ve colored outside the lines because there are no lines people could color in,” he said.

 

 

Comments are not available on this story.