At its Aug. 14 meeting, the Chelsea Licensing Commission approved a change to the hours for Western Front LLC d/b/a Western Front at 121 Webster Ave and separately approved the proposed transfer of the cannabis retail license to Janet Devco LLC d/b/a Chelsea Cannabis Dispensary, subject to conditions.
Hours change while license remains with Western Front: The commission voted to allow Western Front to operate on an interim basis under expanded hours while the municipal and state transfer processes continue. The commission approved hours of 8 a.m. Sunday–Wednesday to 9 p.m., and 8 a.m. Thursday–Saturday to 11 p.m. The applicants said the state Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) may take another four to six months to process a transfer; Western Front said the extra hours would help the business bridge that interval and retain staff.
Transfer approval with different hours after state signoff: The commission also approved the transfer of the cannabis license to Janet Devco LLC subject to an explicit condition about hours once the state-level transfer is complete. The commission’s motion sets the hours on the transferred license to 8 a.m.–9 p.m. Sunday–Wednesday and 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Thursday–Saturday upon final CCC approval; the applicants will need to return or notify the commission when the transfer is scheduled so the commission can revisit hours if necessary.
Police and compliance concerns: Police told the commission they inspected the premises July 23 and identified an exterior camera that was nonfunctional and interior signage and door-lock issues; the owners said they had ordered replacement cameras and would upgrade the system and wiring, with work expected to be completed soon. Police requested 90-day rolling retention for footage and recommended improvements to camera coverage and staffing for parking-lot sweeps; applicants said they were hiring additional staff but that state badge processing creates a lag before new hires can start on premises.
Economic empowerment and employee retention: Western Front representatives said the company has been an economic-empowerment operator and argued the transfer would preserve jobs and save investor capital. Applicants said many Chelsea employees would be retained under the new ownership and that the company chosen to acquire the store (a Green Gold-affiliated retail operator) has retail experience and would bring additional capital and operations support.
Why it matters: The action temporarily permits later hours for a cannabis retailer while the license is still held by Western Front, but the commission limited change on the transferred license and required the incoming owner to return for commission review once the state-level transfer process concludes.