A virtual meeting, hosted by Office of Neighborhood Services liaison Sigurgeir Temple Jonson (Siggi Jonson), took place on Jan. 8 to address a packaging company seeking a product manufacturing license for City Farm Cannabis, located at 717 American Legion Highway in Roslindale.

This abutters meeting is part of the community process and a way to clear the air with neighbors (no pun intended), before the packaging company goes before the Boston Cannabis Board.

Representing Premium Packaging LLC, Jamal Rene clarified that his company and City Farm Cannabis are two distinct companies working together. He said often companies outsource to businesses like his to do their product packaging. Earlier on, City Farm was already approved for product manufacturing but changed their minds and outsourced the work, thus minimal changes will take place.

Of the small group who gathered for the meeting, only resident Nancy Aleo had questions. She let everyone know she was recently at the Mount Hope community meeting near where she lives, a block from City Farm and was nervous about missing this particular meeting.

“I do have questions about exactly what you’ll be making.”

Aleo referenced Silver Therapuetics which is City Farm’s parent company and recalled attending earlier community meetings when Silver bought the space, which City Farms now uses. Her main concerns were odor from the cannabis facility and its proximity to a school.

Rene said her concerns were valid and that he was happy to address them.

“We are a very small discreet operation to begin with. We will only be handling pre-rolls and will not be dealing with such a quantity that smell would be a major issue,” he said.

As required by the city, they would have machinery and equipment to keep odors to a minimum. He clarified that they would not be growing cannabis, only packaging.

Aleo asked whether City Farms would produce gummies and other edibles. Rene said in the future they would manufacture edibles but for now they are solely focused on pre-rolls. Aleo was confused as to how Cannabis Farm was selling products if they were currently being packaged. Rene pointed out that Cannabis Farm uses several product manufacturing companies to package its products and Premium Package is just one of those companies. Right now the focus is complying with all Massachusetts regulations; for example, labeling that deters people under 21 from using the products and having intricate packaging that only adults can open.

“Companies would be sending their raw product to you and you would be packaging?” Aleo asked for clarification. She said she also didn’t understand why Premium Package LLC needed to go through this process again if City Farms already had the product manufacturing license. Rene explained that City Farm had a host agreement with the city to comply with all the regulations and since they outsourced to Premium Packaging, they too needed to undergo the same efforts.

Aleo then wanted clarification on Silver Therapuetics and City Farms which for decades has been a farm, she said smiling. “So, it’s not a farm anymore and kept the name. I digress,” she said. “Will there be any additional community meetings and what do you get with this community meeting? Does it go into your application?”

Jonson said “The next step is a hearing with the Boston Cannabis Board, which is a body that hears this type of application.” After this meeting, the applicants must get a letter from their district city councilor, within 45 days. The board always meets on a Wednesday at 1 p.m. once or twice a month. That notice is posted on Boston.gov. Jonson also offered his email if anyone wanted to attend and testify at the hearing: sigurgeir.jonson@boston.gov