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Holyoke has completed 40 weed business applications, according to a Boston Business Journal analysis. A total of 841 marijuana business license applications have been submitted to the Cannabis Control Commission from 2016, when marijuana became legal in Massachusetts, through July 9. The first cannabis retailer in Massachusetts opened in November 2018.
Not all of the marijuana industry businesses with applications from Holyoke are up and running. Of the applicants, 21 have provisional approval and 15 have submitted their forms, but haven’t gotten to the approvals stage yet. There are four fully-licensed marijuana enterprises in Holyoke: two manufacturers/cultivators and two dispensaries.
Meanwhile, Worcester, which had been eyed early on as the possible epicenter of Massachusetts’ new cannabis industry, has the second most completed licenses with 28 handed in to the state.
Among the things that are attracting marijuana businesses to Holyoke is the city’s leadership. While many Massachusetts communities debated the merits of having marijuana businesses in their towns, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse and city councilors were vocal about the city’ss eagerness to host marijuana entrepreneurs. Many of the local politicians saw the potential for new pot businesses to bring jobs and tax revenue to the area.
Other ways Holyoke is attractive to the cannabis industry include the streamlined application process, lots of open mill building space, and comparatively cheap electricity.
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