City Council accepts $5K gift from Littleton cannabis company

  The City Council accepted a $5,000 donation for the city’s Substance Use Disorder and Homelessness Initiatives Office (SUDHI) from a Littleton-based cannabis company at Monday night’s meeting.

  “The CEO [of Collective Premium Cannabis] reached out to us to explain that they were looking for local community initiatives that were working toward addressing the issues we address in the city, and they did some research and they found our office,” said SUDHI Director Julia Newhall.

  Newhall said the donation was made with no strings attached. There is currently a prohibition on issuing licenses for the sale of recreational marijuana in Revere. “They are just trying to give back based on the revenue they have raised over the past few years,” said Newhall. “They are out of Littleton and not in this area.”

  Councillor-at-Large Marc Silvestri has been one of the biggest proponents for getting the City Council to rethink its stance on allowing marijuana sales in the city and said he supported the donation. “This is part of the amazing things that come out of the cannabis industry, and one more reason I think we should look to bring the industry here to this city,” he said.

  Ward 3 Councillor Anthony Cogliandro said he also supported the donation and asked Newhall how her department would use the funds.

  “We are a completely grant-funded office, so even just the $5,000 will make a dent,” said Newhall. She said the money will likely be used to help provide support for people in need in the community.

  In other business Monday night, Cogliandro presented a motion asking police to increase patrols on East Mountain Avenue due to cars speeding and not stopping at stop signs.

  Ward 5 Councillor John Powers requested that the Public Works Department install a guardrail near 780 North Shore Rd. Within the last couple of months, the home at that location was hit by a speeding motor vehicle, and the pole located next to the home was also hit, according to Powers. Further, he added that three weeks ago a fatality occurred in the area of 182 and 190 North Shore Rd. Powers stated that Revere and State police should be working together to the enforce speeding law on the dangerous stretch of Route 1A.