The clearest origin story sits in Salisbury's fiscal 2018 annual town report. It records that selectmen voted to approve a letter of non-opposition for Alternative Therapies Group to open a registered marijuana dispensary for the sale of medical marijuana at the proposed 107 Elm Street site, after the Town Manager recommended ATG as the most advantageous of three proposals the board had received and was directed to negotiate a host community agreement. In December 2017, the same report states, the board approved a five-year host community agreement under which ATG agreed to pay the town 3% of its annual gross revenues as a community impact fee, in addition to a 3% excise tax previously adopted at Town Meeting. The report also notes a record turnout of 546 voters at Town Meeting, where a two-thirds majority backed a new recreational marijuana overlay district.