Public hearing on Feb. 4 for proposed cannabis dispensary in Sedgwick

Brian Sherwell, owner of the proposed business, tried to open a pot shop in Blue Hill last year. Voters turned him down.

Feb. 3, 2026

By Jessica Hardy and Tricia Thomas

Brian and Abril Sherwell are trying again to open a local recreational use cannabis dispensary, this time in their hometown of Sedgwick. File photo.

SEDGWICK—A public hearing on a proposed recreational use cannabis dispensary in Sedgwick will be held on Feb. 4 at the Sedgwick Fire Station.

Brian Sherwell, a Sedgwick resident who last year tried to open a similar shop in Blue Hill but was defeated by voters, is the owner of the proposed business.

“This is a very early talking phase of this project.” Lyndsey Dow, Sedgwick town clerk, told The Rising Tide in an email..

Dow said Sherwell approached the Sedgwick select board members and asked if they would be interested in putting the idea on the ballot for the vote in March. The select board agreed, paving the way for the topic to appear on the ballot in March town elections. 

If the town votes in favor of Sherwell’s plan in March elections, an ordinance governing dispensary operations, location, and other details would then need to be drafted. That ordinance would then be discussed during at least one public hearing, and a special town meeting would be scheduled to approve and adopt the ordinance, Dow said. A “no” vote in March would effectively end any plans for the proposed shop, at least for now.

Blue Hill voters last year rejected the idea of having the town “opt-in” to a Maine law that allows recreational use cannabis dispensaries to operate in the state. The vote was 760 to 582.

Reached by phone on Feb. 3, Sherwell said he hopes to develop a plan that works in coordination with local residents.

“We want to talk with everyone in the community to make sure we are able to convey our vision and understand what their concerns are. It’s really just about engaging,” Sherwell said. “We’re really looking forward to talking with everybody, just to make sure that they understand what we’re trying to do. We think there’s a lot that Sedgwick could benefit from, and we’re looking forward to chatting and making sure that we can create something that the entire community can get behind.”

Sherwell said that he has not yet chosen a site for the shop.

“We want to have [the town] develop the ordinance and understand clearly where the town would like us to be,” he said.

The Feb. 4 public hearing at the Sedgwick Fire Station, located on the Sedgwick Ridge Road, starts at 5 p.m.