Lowell, Tewksbury Residents Receive Anonymous Letter Regarding Dispensary

Residents near the Lowell/Tewksbury line are finding the below letter in their mailboxes, with no indication of who sent it — no return address, and in at least two cases the stamp was not inked by the Post Office.

The proposal being discussed, Full Harvest Moonz, is a women-owned and -operated recreational cannabis dispensary with an existing location in Haverhill. The company held its first Community Outreach Meeting on Nov. 3 and is proposing to convert a garage at 1 Main St., just barely over the Tewksbury line and readily accessible from I 495.

A few points: The Smyth dispensary, which is just over the line in Lowell, does not open until 9 a.m., after the bulk of the morning commute. Certainly “700 to 1,000 cars daily” is a highly unlikely scenario. One resident who drives by daily says there are rarely more than 15 or 20 cars in the lot. The Dunkin Donuts is a bigger traffic issue because the line often extends out into the road.

An anonymous letter lacks credibility, and there are errors including “the Andover/Lowell line” and a misspelling of Town Manager Richard Montuori’s name. Yet fairly steep postage costs and the timing — having the letters land the week of tonight’s Tewksbury Select Board meeting, where marijuana regulations will be discussed — suggest it’s a party with both a financial or other interest in derailing this location and an understanding of the permitting process.

Regardless, sources say that Select Board members and the Town Manager’s office are receiving calls. There was discussion of a dispensary in this area at the recent Special Town Meeting (1:38).

“When I received this letter in the mail, the first thing I noticed was that whomever sent it didn’t sign their name to it,” said one recipient. “I can’t take much stock in someone’s anti-pot-shop stance when they won’t even sign their name. I drive by two or three cannabis dispensaries each day on my way to and from work, and haven’t noticed any increase in traffic, specifically on Rt. 38.

“I think the scare tactic of more traffic is exaggerated and not an accurate depiction of what will really happen. Another problem I have is people believing these shops are run by criminals. They are not run by criminals and they are not patronized by criminals.”

Is it a resident in the area, as implied? A competing dispensary? A proponent for one of the three Tewksbury licenses looking to eliminate some competition? That’s a mystery. What’s clear is that this location is a viable one for Tewksbury.