Therese Murray denies Bill Delahunt's claim
New Bedford applicant charges the marijuana licensing process was "biased," "unfair," and "unlawfully conducted"
Therese Murray: "I did not meet with any groups regarding their applications".
Senate President Murray denies pot shop claims
New Bedford pot applicant sues to revoke provisional licenses
Former Congressman Bill Delahunt claimed in his company's (Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts) application, that he met with Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth) and a host of other officials “in an effort to obtain assurances of support or non-opposition from Plymouth for the company to operate a Cultivation Facility and Dispensary.”
No he didn't
Senator Murray contradicted the former congressman's statement, and she is quoted in the The Boston Herald today saying, “We notified DPH that the Senate president did not meet with any groups regarding their (Delahunt's) application..."
Delahunt’s application also says its director of community outreach met with Senator Murray “to introduce the company to the community and to address any concerns the community may have regarding the operation in Plymouth”, however a spokeswoman in Therese Murray's office also said that meeting never happened.
New Bedford marijuana applicant sues to revoke provisional licenses
In a related development, The Standard-Times reports today that the former Congressman's group is cited throughout another complaint by two New Bedford area applicants who were passed over by the DPH licensing process, claiming in their suit that the Delahunt's group's title violates the statutes which state that a company "may not assume a name that is misleading as to its corporate purposes."
Lesley Rich, president of Apex Compassion & Wellness Center is quoted saying, "We feel that the whole process should be redone and that they should establish a better procedure".
He added that the process was "biased," "unfair," and "unlawfully conducted".
A 1/4 million salary and profit forecasts
Meanwhile The Cape Cod Times reported today that Delahunt said he is not looking forward to earn money from medical marijuana dispensaries for the next several years.
This despite his quarter million dollar salary and revenue forecasts for the three dispensaries he and his group will be opening in Mashpee, Plymouth and Taunton this summer.
Murray challenges application information
Former congressman William Delahunt is facing new questions about his applications for pot dispensaries, this time from state Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth.Cape Cod Times/Merrily Cassidy
The latest flap over William Delahunt's medical marijuana dispensary applications is simply a misunderstanding rooted in semantics, according to the former U.S. congressman.
On Wednesday, state Senate President Therese Murray issued a statement contesting Delahunt's claim in his license application that his company "met" with her "in an effort to obtain assurances of support or non-opposition."
"I had a personal conversation with Bill Delahunt last year where he raised the subject and I expressed my concerns. I did not meet with any groups regarding their applications," Murray said in a statement.
"I think maybe the language could have been more clear," Delahunt said Wednesday.
Murray's spokeswoman, Laura Oggeri, confirmed by email that the senator had contacted the Department of Public Health about a possible discrepancy in the application.
"We notified DPH that the Senate president did not meet with any groups regarding their application, and it is our understanding that DPH is currently reviewing all applications in an ongoing verification process," Oggeri said.
Applications for 20 provisional dispensary licenses awarded in late January have undergone tremendous public scrutiny, none more so than the trio of successful submissions from Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts headed by Delahunt. The group secured provisional licenses for dispensaries in Mashpee, Plymouth and Taunton and a cultivation facility in Plymouth.
One section of the application asks applicants to "describe efforts to obtain assurances of support or non-opposition from the local municipality(ies)" where a dispensary, cultivation site or processing site would be located and to say if there was any opposition. Delahunt said his inclusion of Murray and two other legislators in the list on his group's application meant that he or his representatives had met with them.
It was done as a courtesy, he said.
"It was important to me that our legislative delegation knew we were interested in Plymouth," he said. "We respect them as citizens, but they have no role in this. It was to local officials that we made our full presentations."
Murray wasn't the only one surprised to be included in the application. State Rep. Thomas Calter, D-Kingston, was also listed.
"I never met with Bill Delahunt on this issue and I never had a discussion with Bill Delahunt on this issue," Calter said Wednesday.
Calter said he did meet with Kevin O'Reilly, the Plymouth community liaison for Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts.
"I meet with Kevin regularly since he is a constituent and town meeting member," Calter said. "He keeps me up to date on what's happening."
O'Reilly simply informed Calter of his new role with the dispensary organization.
"He said he was representing the group, and if I had any questions, I could get in touch with him," Calter said.
The state representative said he doesn't plan to contact the Department of Public Health about being on Delahunt's list because Murray had already made the complaint on her own behalf.
"The Senate president has put it on the radar screen," Calter said. "I think I'll just hang back and see what develops."
State Rep. Vinnie deMacedo, R-Plymouth, had no problem with his inclusion on Delahunt's list. He met with O'Reilly, deMacedo said Wednesday.
"Kevin reached out and said that out of respect he was contacting me. He sat down and gave me a quick overview," deMacedo said. "I've never been supportive of medical marijuana and I don't think they're suggesting I supported it."
And while several Mashpee officials were listed in the dispensary application for that town and did indeed meet with Delahunt's group, the town's state legislator was not contacted.
Rep. David Vieira, R-East Falmouth, was not slighted by the omission.
"I'm a legislator, I'm not an official with the DPH," he said. "I don't see my role as meddling in a public policy issue that, quite frankly, I don't agree with. What the hell are they going to call me for?"
Department of Public Health spokeswoman Anne Roach sent the following email about the applications: "The department is meeting with all applicants in provisional status and verifying information submitted in their applications. Any applicant that fails to comply with the regulatory requirements or is otherwise found to be unsuitable will not receive a license for a Registered Marijuana Dispensary."
Staff writer C. Ryan Barber contributed to this report.
