A company poised to revive the Island’s only commercial marijuana growing facility has run into complications after the building it was hoping to open a retail store in was leased to a competitor.

Black Harbor Group intended to take over the lease of 510 State Road in West Tisbury, the former site of the Fine Fettle dispensary. Black Harbor Group was in active discussion with the landlord of the property, but now must look elsewhere after Geoff Rose, owner of Island Time, the other marijuana dispensary on the Vineyard, signed the lease. 

Black Harbor Group representative Cornell Mills acknowledged the obstacle of not having the West Tisbury location as an option for a retail facility anymore in an interview with the Gazette this week.

“I’m trying to avoid having any finger pointing or bad blood considering we’re coming into this space,” he said. “I’d rather not elaborate on dealing with this particular landlord and lease.” 

Black Harbor Group received approvals to take over Fine Fettle’s grow facility located on Dr. Fisher Road last month from the state Cannabis Control Commission, according to Mr. Mills. That part of the business was planned to work in tandem with a retail store. 

Despite the storefront setback, Mr. Mills said he hoped to reopen Fine Fettle’s old marijuana growth facility within the next month.

Mr. Rose is not planning to open a second dispensary at the State Road building. Instead, Mr. Rose will rent the space to a Pilates studio, and provide housing for one of his employees with the attached apartment, he said. 

“[The Pilates instructor] is currently in a smaller location so this gives her an opportunity to expand her business and anytime I can help a local business expand, I want to be able to do that,” he said. 

Mr. Rose denied any ill intent with signing the lease.  

“The lease expired and I was given the opportunity to take over the lease,” he said. “The timing just worked out.” 

Mr. Rose previously planned to operate a dispensary at the log cabin building on State Road, before selling the business to Fine Fettle in 2021. 

Fine Fettle opened later that year, becoming the Island’s first dispensary and commercial growing facility. 

Mr. Rose went on to open Island Time in Vineyard Haven, where he received cannabis products from Fine Fettle. 

Last year, the marijuana scene on the Vineyard was shaken up when Fine Fettle shut down due to financial constraints. At the time, state regulators maintained that all cannabis sold on the Vineyard had to be grown on-Island to avoid federal drug laws. 

Without Fine Fettle, Island Time also temporarily closed. Mr. Rose then filed a lawsuit against the state over the marijuana transportation rules. The Cannabis Control Commission changed the rule in June, allowing Island dispensaries to stock their shelves with off-Island marijuana.  

As Black Harbor Group gets its growth facility open, the company is pursuing other leads for dispensary locations, specifically in West Tisbury and Oak Bluffs. 

“The main thing is that we’re going to refocus our energies on Island-grown cannabis,” Mr. Mills said. “We’re just excited about the opportunity to bring some organic, well-grown product back to the Island.”