In the lawsuit, former City Manager Angel Jones alleges Vice Mayor De’Andre Barnes tried to solicit a bribe from the family of Dallas Mavericks forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who is from Portsmouth.
City staff called the business unique for the city because the cannabis plants will be grown and cultivated on site before the CBD products are sold to consumers. There's another location in Portsmouth that cultivates and sells cannabis, but it’s a medical marijuana facility.
City officials envision a stretch that blends residential and commercial development and has enough green space to attract both. But they don’t view it as an extension of Olde Towne and don’t want it to compete with the historic district’s restaurants, shops and businesses.