The store, called “FLŌRA,” would sell cannabis flower and an assortment of related products, including tinctures, concentrates, edibles, beverages and topicals.
Sims has five years of business experience in hemp and cannabis, including growing, extraction, formulating products, branding, packaging and sales.
Silberman now represents many entrepreneurs seeking business opportunities in the cultivation and/or sale of recreational cannabis.
The town’s Development Review Board is being asked to approve a change of use designation for the site — currently occupied by Deppman Law PLC — from office to retail, in order to pave the way for FLŌRA.
“It’s not a head shop,” Sims stressed of FLŌRA.
A customer entering the store would be greeted by a staff member to check the customer’s ID to confirm their age.
Once checked in, customers would be offered store-provided iPads featuring a product menu and educational materials.
Beyond the waiting area, the customer would be admitted to a physically separated, secure sales floor, where there would be additional sales staff, sometimes referred to as “bud-tenders,” offering guidance on available products.
Silberman said all cannabis in inventory would be kept in sealed containers to preserve freshness and prevent odors.
FLŌRA’S neighbors would include the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History, Photoplace Gallery, Cannon Park, and a residence on nearby Mill Street, in addition to other tenants of the building including Dan Freeman Leatherworks and upstairs apartments.
Silberman anticipates staffing levels will vary based on customer flow, with a minimum of two, and a maximum of six workers on site at any given time.
Silberman holds the position of Addison County high bailiff, which has limited powers — the most notable of which is to arrest the sitting sheriff if that action is deemed necessary.
The voters of Middlebury chose to allow cannabis retail and the BMP supports any and all businesses that are approved to operate a business in town.