West Tisbury's select board unanimously approved the sale of Fine Fettle, one of Martha's Vineyard's two marijuana dispensaries, to Black Harbor Group on Wednesday. The transfer hinges on fixing longstanding lighting violations at the State Road site—within six months, or the operation shuts down. This move comes as the Island's fragile cannabis market, battered by local growing restrictions and a recent shutdown, eyes revival under new ownership.
Lighting Fix or Bust
The board's green light carries a sharp edge. Fine Fettle's external lights have irked the Martha's Vineyard Commission for years, breaching regulations meant to curb light pollution in this dark-sky haven. Town administrator Jennifer Rand laid it out bluntly: alongside the ownership vote, the board would notify Black Harbor that compliance is non-negotiable. Miss the six-month deadline, and the right to operate vanishes—potentially via cease-and-desist.
Erin Riley, Black Harbor's attorney, projected confidence. "We're comfortable with that hard stop," she told the board, betting the deadline would prod landlords and vendors into action. The permit covers recreational and medical growth plus retail—a full-spectrum license now in Black Harbor's hands, assuming they deliver on the fix.
New Owners, Sparse Details
Black Harbor Group, a freshly minted Massachusetts LLC from early July, keeps its cards close. Managers Monica Dean, Jamarhl Crawford, Kendall Mills, and Cornell Mills—all mainland residents—skipped specifics on expansion or hiring at the meeting. Riley promised adherence to town rules and community integration: "We're excited to come in and do business and be a part of the fabric of your community." No response to further inquiries by press time.
Fine Fettle's exit stems from its May announcement: cultivation halted, retail winding down over finances. As the Vineyard's sole legal grow operation since opening in 2021, its closure rippled hard. State rules had long mandated Island-grown product for local dispensaries—a policy that stranded Island Time, the other shop, forcing a multi-week shutdown.
From Island-Only to Mainland Flows
That bottleneck broke open in June. Vineyard and Nantucket retailers lobbied the Cannabis Control Commission, which greenlit cross-state-waters transport for the first time—easing supply chains long choked by geography. Fine Fettle owner Benjamin Zachs and Black Harbor now bet on this shift to breathe life back into Vineyard cannabis.
The Island's market hangs in the balance. With growing potentially resuming under Black Harbor, retailers could stabilize; fail, and the six-month clock ticks toward a one-dispensary Island—or none. What's striking: a policy tweak born of desperation now underpins the sector's survival, even as compliance deadlines test the new guard's resolve.
