A Planning Board hearing, scheduled Wednesday night, on a proposal to locate the state’s first on-site cannabis lounge in Haverhill was postponed after city lawyers raised late objections.

Caroline Pineau, owner of Haverhill’s first cannabis retail shop, planned to follow recently approved state regulations for the proposed lounge above her existing store, but told WHAV she asked for the delay in order to address the city’s concerns.

“I’m happy to roll up my sleeves, work with the city to address their concerns and head back to the Planning Board when we have a chance to do so” she said.

Pineau explained, “We received feedback from the city solicitor’s office that we’d like to incorporate into our proposal. We just want to make sure we have enough time to make the best ordinance possible for the City of Haverhill.”

In a May 19 letter to Haverhill Planning Board Chairman Paul Howard, City Solicitors Lisa L. Mead and Elizabeth Lydon, said the zoning overlay district proposed by Pineau’s legal team may prove inconsistent with the existing “Overlay District for Marijuana Establishments” that allowed Stem to open in 2020, must first remove the city’s current prohibition on social consumption establishments and be squared with a Board of Health regulation prohibiting smoking in workplaces and public places.

A second letter, dated this past Monday, from city lawyers was addressed to City Council President Timothy J. Jordan, reiterated the concerns sent to the Planning Board and concluded the proposal “is not recommended.” The letter also questioned the mechanics of where to place the proposed zoning ordinance within the city’s regulatory framework.

The state’s Cannabis Control Commission last January laid out rules for allowing such on-site consumption lounges to open. Among requirements is that communities first specify zones where such businesses would be allowed. Pineau was awarded state Social Equity Grants—$500,000 in March of 2025 and $300,000 this past March to renovate the second and third stories of her historic building. Pineau said she plans to develop the rooftop and second and third floors of her 6,400-square-foot, Washington Street building into “a state-of-the-art cannabis-themed destination and education center.” She also expressed hope to open one of the state’s first on-site consumption sites.

The draft ordinance Pineau planned to present to the Planning Board includes purposes and authority, definitions, opt-in and licensing, operational requirements, health and safety standards, zoning and location and signage.