By Theresa Knapp

The owners of Blackstone Valley Naturals, LLC, a marijuana establishment currently located in Uxbridge, have purchased 1 Rosenfeld Drive, the former location of Green Mountain Chocolate which closed its doors in June. 

Co-owners Kevin MacConnell and Timothy Phillips met with the Hopedale Select Board on Nov. 8 to start discussions regarding a Host Community Agreement as it considers moving from Uxbridge (where they started in 2018) to Hopedale.

The owners say the new building is approximately 1,000 square feet larger than the current building they rent, and there is an additional acre of undeveloped land that could be used for future expansion. 

“What’s the most exciting for us about the new building in Hopedale is how it’s already fully set up for food grade manufacturing,” MacConnell said. 

“Green Mountain Chocolate, to me, has always had the best local chocolate,” Phillips said, adding that the Campbells [former owners of the chocolate company] have ownership in the business. 

“We believe the cannabis industry is really lacking a quality chocolate-based product and Bill and Lisa [Campbell] really dialed that in; so if we can meet in the middle and bring the cannabis to their excellent recipes in what they’ve built over the last 25 years, we think it’s going to be a home run,” Phillips said. 

In a Facebook post on June 9 on the Green Mountain Chocolate page, the Campbells announced their retirement saying, “We sold our business and building to a company that will not be continuing with chocolate, so this is definitely the end of the line for Green Mountain Chocolate...Lisa & Bill.” 

Blackstone Valley Naturals holds a “microbusiness” license, the second such license granted in the state, says MacConnell. 

According to www.mass-cannabis-control.com, a microbusiness “is a collated Tier 1 Marijuana Cultivator, and/or Marijuana Product Manufacturer limited to purchase 2,000 pounds of marijuana from other [marijuana establishments] in one year.” Under such a license, they cannot operate more than one facility “so this would be a complete move from Uxbridge to Hopedale,” MacConnell said, adding they can also transport product to dispensaries only. 

MacConnell noted the new site could be up and running quickly because they will transfer active plants. “What’s really unique about this situation is, once our license is transferred to that building, we’re instantly able to start cultivating and generating revenue for the town.” 

Select Board Chairman Brian Keyes said the town has been “selectively receptive to members of the business community that are looking to come to Hopedale in the cannabis industry.” 

There are currently a handful of marijuana businesses in the works in Hopedale; and High Hopes, a recreational cannabis dispensary, opened for business in June in the Airport Industrial & Business Park. 

The area is zoned for cannabis businesses but will require a special permit. 

Blackstone Valley Naturals is expected to be back before the Select Board on Nov. 22, 2021.