A group of about 50 or so local residents gathered outside of the empty storefront at 1152 Beacon St. on Sunday to protest a possible medical marijuana dispensary opening there, Julie Cohen reports for the TAB
Neighbor Jane Kitonga expressed worry for her children. She said she had lived near people who routinely smoked pot, which ruined her family’s quality of life.
Bunch of idiots. When is the protest against all the liquor stores located nearby schools?
The real issue here should be that a small group of people are using bought-and-paid-for state legislation to turn themselves into multimillionaires.
We saw it before with charter schools, and we’re seeing it now with marijuana.
But Big Weed’s manipulation of the little guy in this debate has been HBS textbook-case-study kind of stuff.
On the side of Big Weed’s multi-billion-dollar profit-driven machinery, they’ve managed to line up a majority of people in their defense, who have been snookered into believing that this is some highly-emotional question of personal liberty, governmental tyranny, and/or pain/stress management.
And on the other side, opposing Big Weed, there’s a vocal minority who have been successfully labeled as “a bunch of idiots” with condescending snippets like the one that V14 has posted above.
Deregulation of marijuana is all about creating a new economy for a group of politically-connected corporations and individuals, period. Anybody who claims otherwise is either being emotionally manipulated, or directly getting a cut of it themselves.
I fail to see how a properly licensed medical marijuana clinic will in anyway influence or impact anyone’s quality of life except for the patients use their services after securing a prescription from their doctor.
Nervous abutters should go visit Garden Remedies on Washington Street. The first thing they will notice is, well, nothing. There’s no loitering throng outside, no glassy eyes middle schoolers, no clouds of smoke, no problem finding a parking space, etc. They will also discover that they can’t go inside because the place has very tough security.
Would Garden Remedies be willing to agree to terms that their “medical marijuana” dispensary will never seek a share of the recreational consumer marijuana market?
You bet they won’t.
Actually as near as I can recall, this organization (or one of the others represented by the Lipofs – I’ve lost track which) has already indicated that they’re going to seek a cut of the consumer market, n’est-ce pas?
A notice went out within the proper time period, in the proper manner and to the proper abutters of Garden Remedies about a community meeting on March 29, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the Workshop of the Newton’s Women’s Club in Newton Highlands to discuss them selling recreational marijuana. https://drive.google.com/open?id=1nZCuBwHZGXHoTzKdYOm6fJHsHp_IUSD2
Some comments:
Titled Reefer Madness
1. This meeting is important, esp. to Newtonville residents.
Please attend this meeting! It is not being held in Newtonville but in some women’s club in Newton Highlands. Unfortunately.
I am suspicious of the lateness of notice and non-Newtonville location of the meeting. So if you can, go to the meeting on Thursday March 29 at 7 PM, at the “women’s club of Newton Highlands” at 72 Columbus St., N. Highlands.
I got a mailed notice as an abutter. I do not want this shop almost in my backyard. If Newton must have a commercial outlet for marijuana — and now it isn’t just medical marijuana — let it be in someone else’s neighborhood.
2. The notice says that Garden Remedies at 697 Washington Street (the existing medical marijuana dispensary) is proposing to apply for a license to operate as an “Adult-Use Marijuana Retailer” (recreational marijuana shop). At the community meeting, Garden Remedies will present information about the type of facility, security, how they plan to prevent diversion of their product to minors, their plan to positively impact the community, and information “adequate to demonstrate the location will not constitute a nuisance” with regard to “noise, odor, dust, glare, fumes, vibration, heat or other conditions likely to cause nuisance”.
Garden Remedies’ proprietor is hosting the meeting about a recreational marijuana shop in Newtonville at a venue in Newton Highlands. By law, only abutters had to be notified, and it appears that only abutters were notified. However, it’s a community meeting, so anyone in the community can attend, whether they support or oppose a recreational marijuana shop in our village. In fact, the notice says “Members of the public are encouraged to attend the meeting…”.
These conspiracy theorists are at least acting like a “bunch of idiots.”
@ Michael – to be clear, Village14 did not post that “condescending snippet”. One of the readers did in a comment.
As for “condescending snippets” – suggesting that the majority of voters in MA have only voted the way they did because they had have been manipulated and snookered by ‘Big Weed’ sure sounds a bit condescending to my ears.
@Jerry – by “condescending snippet” I was actually referring to the following quotation:
> “Neighbor Jane Kitonga expressed worry for her children. She said she had lived near people who routinely smoked pot, which ruined her family’s quality of life.”
…which, when presented without context, of course elicited the very classy “bunch of idiots” statement by a reader.
And if it’s condescending to suggest that a majority of voters are constantly manipulated by moneyed interests on this and dozens of other issues big and small, then yes, please label me Condescending with a capital C.
For the record – I strongly support the legalization of marijuana, provided there are proper public safety protections in place against impaired driving, and independent research is adequately funded to identify the long-term health impacts of direct and second-hand smoke inhalation.
What I’m not for, is the use of legislation to create an exclusive economy and concentrate these profits (either directly or via absurd “nonprofit directors’ compensation”) in the hands of a well-connected few. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing now.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who laughed about the woman whose pothead neighbors ruined her family’s quality of life. What could they possibly have done that was so bad? The worst I do is eat Raisin Bran Crunch in large quantities and listen to the Allman Brothers.
Well, label me Condescending…but at least I’m not mean-spirited like David K. with his “bunch of idiots” comment or MMQC, who “laughed about the woman.”
MMQC – We don’t know what “the woman’s” concerns were, since the Tab article (as usual) was inadequate.
But for starters I can pretty easily see how smoke (white, purple, or otherwise) emanating from a neighbor’s property in large volumes could pretty easily ruin your quality of life – respiratory, olfactory, and otherwise. And I can also see how a neighbor regularly driving a car down my street under the influence of a psychoactive drug could put my children’s lives at risk. Society has pretty widely accepted these concerns as being legitimate, and not laughable, when applied to tobacco or alcohol use. Ms. Kitonga could have some other concerns which might be pretty reasonable, if the Tab or V14 were to ask her.
PS I’m disappointed that the readership of V14 would give David K’s “bunch of idiots” comment 8 likes in 3 hours. Stay classy, Newton.
Ignorance breeds fear. These ignorant protesters who are trying to block medical patients from obtaining prescription medication are a disgrace. I’ve experienced a loved-one dying of cancer, whose only relief was cannabis. The fact that these misguided fools may keep others from receiving their medication disgusts me…
But let’s put the genesis for this disgrace exactly where it belongs, on the shoulders of the elected officials like Setti Warren, Ruthanne Fuller and the Newton City Council, who not only failed to support cannabis patients, but stigmatized the use of medical cannabis by initially banning it in Newton.
I would love to read the context of Jane Kitonga’s seeming rediculous comment, but the link to the article seems to be broken.
Never mind! It finally rendered
As Michael points out, The TAB article does not provide context, which as Michael also points out, has stopped being surprising.
Since Brenda Noel is my Ward Councilor I would really appreciate her clarifying how a medical dispensary has any relationship to recreational pot shops. She can “appreciate the concerns” but conflating the two just muddies the waters. Is Brenda opposed to medical dispensaries or just not in our ward?
“Brenda Noel, who is the councilor for Ward 6 where 1152 Beacon St., is located, said in an email she appreciated “the concern expressed for this location and the impact it may have on the young people in our community.”
Noel said she voted on March 5 to approve a moratorium on recreational pot shops in the city because she “think[s] it is important to get the implementation right.”
So many of our councillors and our mayor ran under the guise of progressiveness, but they are on the wrong side of history on this one.
Yes. How embarrassing it is to live in the one and only municipality in the commonwealth that was not ready to leapfrog over years of delays and a complicated array of rulings on the state level.
MMQC: Totally agree. Most Newtonians are PWC (progressive-when-convenient). Otherwise they are about as righteously protective of their turf (that is, conservative) as anyone in, oh I don’t know, the NRA.
Amen. That became evident to me with the whole Engine 6 fiasco.
Actually Engine 6 sparked the creation of a coalition of Newton resident housing activists that have proactively and effectively been working to bring affordable housing to Newton ever since.
Greg is letting Newton’s elected officials off too easy. They botched implementation of medical marijuana, which then kept hundreds of patients from being able to fill prescriptions in Newton. Now they’ve derailed yet another ballot box vote, this time over a supposed zoning issue…
This latest protest against a new dispensary stems directly from the fact that city officials have failed to defended the rights of medical marijuana patients. Instead, they’ve actively worked to undermine the will of the voters. Not once, but twice!
My optometrist is in the same building as Garden Remedies. They’re barely noticeable — what on earth is all the fuss about?
“Big Weed,” oh my. Sounds like Puritanical Populism.
Amen Andy
Big Weed sounds like Big Bird’s vegetarian brother.
I live right up the street from this location and strongly support the proposed marijuana clinic. Seems like a fine location for this type of business. Glad Councilor Noel is supportive.
Greg, sometimes it’s hard to tell what your point is that’s hidden in your snark.
I surmise your comment about the city playing “leaf frog” isn’t about the children’s game but instead insinuates that the reasons the council voted for the moratorium on regulating recreational marijuana retail stores until the end of 2018 were valid and not pandering to some residents’ irrational fears. I disagree.
Your comment pointing out the good that came from the Engine 6 “fiasco” seems to be saying “all’s well that ends well.” I disagree.
I understand why folks are frustrated, even angry, about the delays implementing, first, medical marijuana and now recreational marijuana.
But it is disingenuous for anyone to carry on as if the situation in Newton is unique. It isn’t.
Many, many more municipalities have had delays than not.
Yes, we like to think we’re special in Newton. But in this instance, at least, we’re not.
Detractors should acknowledge that this is a statewide problem before accusing our city leaders of being engaged in some sort of unique-to-Newton voter suppression conspiracy.
Truth is, we’ve seen no evidence of a conspiracy inside Newton City Hall. What we’ve seen is your average, every day, government bureaucracy, moving at its typical snail’s pace.
You don’t have to like that, you can even be angry, but that doesn’t prove that it’s a conspiracy or even deliberate.
A medical marijuana shop provides product to people with “debilitating medical conditions”:
Cancer
Crohn’s Disease/Ulcerative Colitis (UC)
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
ALS, MS, Parkinson’s Disease
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Chronic Back Pain
Anorexia
Chronic Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia
For minors to qualify, they must suffer from a debilitating illness that does not respond to other treatments, which is expected to result in death within two years.
Shawn, are you sure Councilor Noel is supportive of this location? The article said in an email Councilor Noel appreciated “the concern expressed for this location and the impact it may have on the young people in our community.” Did she address the medical MJ dispensary or just recreational retail shops?
I don’t think the worry people expressed about the dispensary being too close to two elementary schools or the other complaints in the article are well founded.
I do want to say that while I agree that the Tab isn’t what it used to be, I sincerely appreciate having the reporter, Julie Cohen, paying attention to what’s happening in Newton and writing this article.
I wish people on this board would stop with the pretense that this is just a medical pot clinic… We all know the end game is to slide right into the recreational space so continuing to be purposely obtuse or naive reflects pretty poorly…
Just a “pretense”?
My community circle includes a craftsman with PTSD/Gulf War syndrome; an entrepreneur with Crohn’s Disease; a mom with crippling chronic anxiety; a friend struggling with depression; a lab assistant with early onset rheumatoid arthritis who has trouble just climbing stairs; a working professional with cancer on radiation/chemo for the third time; another working professional with ulcerative colitis; a wife with chronic back pain; a friend recovering from a terrible accident. These people want to minimize their use of opioids and other dangerous “Big Pharma” medications.
Maybe I’m an anomaly who happens to know a lot of older folks who have developed health issues later in life. But why don’t you tell all these folks it’s all a big “pretense” funded by “Big Weed”. If you also knew these people sorts of people striving to retain normalcy in the face of pain and/or suffering, maybe you’d think differently.
Wow, Dulles, sorry, you missed my point I guess. I’m a proponent of medical marijuana and know from friends and acquaintances the benefits as compared to other more traditional pain management. My point is just acknowledge the plan really is to make it easier to evolve into a recreational shop so we can stop with that pretense.
I hope that for the sake of consistency that anyone who opposes this has similar disdain for liquor stores, restaurants serving alcohol, and pharmacies selling prescription painkillers and OTC cold medicine that you could turn into meth. Otherwise it would be utter hypocrisy.
I don’t know what the effects of abuse of a substance have to do with this location, whether it’s for medicinal or recreational use. Both are legal according to the law. As an aside, this location is within walking distance of my home.
@Shawn Fitzgibbons– I appreciate the fact that you support a medical dispensary at the old South Pacific location. I’m not sure why you think Brenda Noel is supportive of anyone’s right to use cannabis. She, like the rest of the City Council, just voted against cannabis rights, in complete contradiction to the ballot initiative that voters approved statewide…
But here’s the real problem, Shawn. You Chair the Newton Democratic City Committee, arguably the most important political group in Newton. Two successive Democrat mayors along with a City Council comprised mostly of Democrats, just recently conspired to undermine and successfully blocked implementation of a legally binding ballot box vote. You should have spoken up against that moratorium before the City Council passed it. At the very least, Shawn, you should speak out in opposition to the recent moratorium now.
The proximity of the cemetery to the proposed business suggests a new show for TV: The Walking Dead Heads
Hi – I think Councilor Noel should speak for herself in terms of her stance, but I am pretty sure she said she was supportive when I talked to her about it a few weeks ago. Incidentally, personally I would support the shop if it sells recreational marijuana too.
The moratorium is until the end of this year, correct? It seems reasonable for a municipality to take what is a relatively short amount of additional time to plan out implementation of state law at the local level. Additionally the moratorium doesn’t make the substance illegal in Newton. It just delays the stores.
My biggest issue with the moratorium is not the delay per se. When I went to the City Council meeting nearly all the comments from the councilors seemed to indicate that they needed this additional time because they were not going to treat these as any other legal retail establishment. The regulations/zoning for all other retail stores are already in place.
It’s seemed clear to me that this moratorium period is most likely going to be used to enact specific limitations/regulations that only apply to these businesses. Things mentioned included special permits, allowed opening hours, allowable locations, etc
My understanding is that the state only recently (and I am not an expert on this) figured out guidelines for cities and towns, so then municipalities wanted a little more time to review those recommendations before moving ahead.
Friends,
I apologize for my delayed response as I have been a bit under water at work. As I stated in the tab article- I do appreciate the concerns from the community. That being said- this was a voted on referendum for both medical(2012) and recreational (2016) marijuana, (I recognize they are different, yet both are legal in the Commonwealth\).
I see my job as as a city councilor as respecting the will of the voters and advocating for my constituents within the legislative process. Medical and recreational marijuana are legal. The city of Newton had an opportunity to implement the moratorium to respond to the significant state delay to draft and release the regulations. Medical and recreational marijuana are regulated by the state. The city council voted unanimously to implement the moratorium, not to deny individuals of their right to buy recreational marijuana, but to be thoughtful about the implementation process for our city.
What I am doing to be the best city councilor and advocate for Ward 6 that I can be is learning everything and anything I can about how this process has gone in other states and consider best practices. I fundamentally think this process needs to be thoughtful. I also respect the law and the will of the voters and am mindful that recreational marijuana is a business that cannot and should not be discriminated against. I have encouraged my constituents who want to impact the implementation of this referendum to get involved at the state level, specifically with the Cannabis Control Commission. https://mass-cannabis-control.com. Policy is being debated right now- and I encouraged folks who have any opinion about this to get involved.
What do I personally think about it? The more I learn about the implementation process of both recreational and medical marijuana and the thoughtfulness of the CCC and DPH, the more comfortable I am with the idea.
There are still things we need to consider- I am concerned about folks driving under the influence and the tools public safety will use to address this concern. As a parent of twin 14 year olds I have concerns about my kids and this passing referendum for a variety of reasons none of which include a medical dispensary opening 3 blocks from my home.
I need to jump off this blog and may not be able to check back until tomorrow- if it is pressing- please call or email- 617-620-2721 or [email protected]
Thank you for all your thoughtful comments- working together we make things better.
@Marti. Are they showing “Reefer Madness” at the Newton Highlands Women’s Club tomorrow evening?
Cannabis moratoriums are not unique to Newton. But I didn’t vote for elected officials in other communities. I voted in Newton’s municipal election, and direct my ire at the people who stole my referendum vote…
Voters approved a ballot initiative to “treat cannabis like alcohol.” The Mayor and City Council have blocked implementation. All the excuse making about why, doesn’t change the fact that elected officials have done the exact opposite of what they were instructed to do by the voters. “Thoughtful” implementation of zoning regs does not warrant reversing a ballot box vote. Especially since the City Council has already had 18 months to contemplate what the voters meant by “treat cannabis like alcohol.”
The silence thus far has been deafening from Fuller and other city officials. They need to stand up now and defend the right of cannabis patients to access their medication. It is not acceptable for city “leaders” to turn a blind eye to an outrageous protest by 100 people attempting to block patient access, which is in effect what the protesters are attempting to do. Shame on Fuller and the 24 City Councilors for not responding to the urgency of this situation. They’re all too busy making excuses for their latest moratorium, to deal with the repercussions of their last one.
For anyone who doubted that this was all about money and gaming the system for profit…
http://www.universalhub.com/2018/medical-marijuana-dispensary-now-says-it-want
(PS glad to see that David K’s #BunchOfIdiots comment is up to 21 likes now – that says a lot about the quality of this forum’s readership. )
Medical marijuana dispensary that now says it wants to sell recreational pot insists it didn’t lie to neighbors, city
By adamg on Thu, 03/29/2018 – 12:22pm
WGBH reports on the contretemps involving an attempt by Patriot Care, which runs a medicinal marijuana dispensary at 21 Milk St. downtown to add recreational pot sales, even though it told downtown residents and city officials looking at its dispensary plans three years ago that it would not seek to sell recreational versions of the stuff.
Patriot Care says it wasn’t lying, it just never realized that recreational pot would become legal so fast – an assertion some are finding hard to swallow.
@Michael– You turned out 100 misguided people to protest a medical marijuana clinic. You’re attempting to block medical patients from access to their prescribed medication. Your actions are a direct assault on patients rights, and intended to intimidate patients from obtaining health care. The elected “leaders” here in Newton may be so oblivious to your threat that they fail to recognize it for what it is. Some of them may even secretly be cheering you on. But I’m going to call you out for the total ignoramus that you are…
I lost my wife Laurie to brain cancer in 2011. We had to travel to California in order to legally obtain medical cannabis. In the three and a half years my wife battled her illness the only thing that brought her relief from the nausea associated with chemotherapy was smoking cannabis. During that time I met literally hundreds of medical patients who received relief from cannabis for a large number of illnesses. Before Laurie died, I made her a promise that I would fight against an unjust system that criminalizes the medical use of cannabis, and stigmatizes those who use it.
Mayor Fuller may not condemn your actions. The City Councilors may keep their mouths shut too. But let me assure you that you and your anti-cannabis crowd are not going to block patient’s access to their medication in Newton and get away with it.
Sorry, the link was missing an ‘s’ at the end –
http://www.universalhub.com/2018/medical-marijuana-dispensary-now-says-it-wants
I’m astonished by the amount of energy that the over-50, Big Lebowski community has to devote to this issue – it would be great if that energy could be redirected toward some truly meaningful causes of social justice.
This movement has been led largely by individuals who came of age in the 60s and 70s who viewed marijuana (rightfully, at that time) as a progressive, rebellious symbol against the tyranny of Nixon, Vietnam, and the militarization/corporatization of America.
But as is always the case, the object of these individuals’ affection was quickly hijacked for profit by the same system they were protesting, and weed is no longer the antiestablishment instrument that it was 40 or 50 years ago. Wall Street is already on the case, getting their cut from the marijuana economy, and it also turns out that smoking weed (smoking anything, for that matter) is not compatible with the 2018 definitions of a healthy lifestyle.
Of course, the long-term health impacts of marijuana use on the individuals who choose to use it is none of my business, and I wholeheartedly support the right of adults to smoke as much tobacco, marijuana, or crack as they please. But to you 21 individuals who are so quick to label Ms. Kitonga and her fellow protestors as a “Bunch of Idiots,” I say: consider the possibility that society has passed you by, and your lifelong, well-intentioned affinity for marijuana now has you being played by multibillion dollar interests as a Bunch of Suckers.
Mike, I’m not sure what you mean by “You turned out 100 misguided people to protest a medical marijuana clinic. ” I can assure you that I didn’t turn out anyone. Believe it or not, this really is not a topic that I care much about (I don’t live in Newton anymore), other than my disappointment at seeing well-intentioned marijuana supporters being unwittingly mobilized by corporate interests.
Anyway, thanks for calling me a “total ignoramus” – you’re obviously a thoughtful guy.
Thankfully I’m not as classless as you, so:
I do offer you my sincere condolences on the passing of your wife.
I would stress however that none of us have a monopoly on pain, suffering, and the passing of loved ones.
And this is not an issue of “medicinal marijuana” at this point – the economic model has moved well beyond that, as the UHub/WGBH article and countless other articles point out.
But for anyone stuck in the (now economically irrelevant) debate about medicinal marijuana – I’d refer you to the ACS:
“The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the Society’s advocacy affiliate, has not taken a position on legalization of marijuana for medical purposes because of the need for more scientific research on marijuana’s potential benefits and harms. However, ACS CAN opposes the smoking or vaping of marijuana and other cannabinoids in public places because the carcinogens in marijuana smoke pose numerous health hazards to the patient and others in the patient’s presence.”
“I don’t live in Newton anymore.”
Classic.
Tricia, why is that classic? We moved from Newton to Needham in December, but I still read this website because I enjoy it. If you don’t believe me, ask Jerry Reilly, whom I bumped into in Needham Center the other day.
Gotta love how irrational and mean-spirited people become when discussing this topic. Could you elaborate on your attempted putdown? Thanks
Michael, my take on this topic is the majority who are posting here are supportive of a medical marijuana and a more straightforward implementation of the voice of the voter who clearly supported the concept of legalizing recreational marijuana and treating it the same as alcohol. It is a “live and let live” vibe to me. I’ve smoked pot once in my life but completely support anyone’s right to do so and it seems the voters agree.
I think the opposition of this position are those who are either 1) puritianical abolishionists or 2) Not in My Back Yard reactionsists.
Tricia’s comment seems reasonable and since it isn’t your backyard anymore perhaps you are in the former count. I’m just perplext why you are expending so much energy on this if you aren’t a Newton resident and certainly not an abutter
Claire, does my below statement (posted above) put me in the “former camp”?
“Of course, the long-term health impacts of marijuana use on the individuals who choose to use it is none of my business, and I wholeheartedly support the right of adults to smoke as much tobacco, marijuana, or crack as they please. ”
Conversely, if living in Needham somehow excludes me from having the right to comment on this topic, then I’ll say that we do still own our old home in Newton, for the time being at least. But you’re right, it’s nowhere near any commercial zone where a dispensary could be located.
I’ve made a half-dozen posts on this topic while I’m procrastinating on finishing a report and spreadsheet that was due a couple of days ago – I’m not sure how that counts as “expending so much energy on this.”
My interest is that I’m genuinely angry at how the “medicinal marijuana” industry lied, lied, and lied again to convince people that this was some sort of righteous movement, when in fact it was all about getting a cut of the billions in the recreational market – read the UHub/WGBH article and see how they continue to lie to this day.
And I’m upset that special interests were able to go to state legislatures and city halls and essentially purchase regulations that guaranteed them exclusive market share – the same way the charter school people did.
But apparently I’m the only one bothered by all that.
Michael,
Money is politics is my # 1 issue but I just don’t see it here in regards to order of magnitude. Locally I see it more on the development front. Money is politics is disturbing when our elected officials make decisions that don’t align with the will of the voters. That is not the situation on this issue.
Whenever someone says “I don’t really care about” whatever topic they’ve just commented on like 6 times, you know they care. A lot.
This is a conversation about a specific medical marijuana facility in Newton. The fact that you’re aggressively opposed and not even a Newton resident means your opinions are not very compelling. Are there no kerfuffles over medical/recreational marijuana in Needham for you to get in on?
And for the record, I’ve never seen The Big Lebowski. And I haven’t smoked weed in almost 25 years.
OK, Tricia’s clichéd and juvenile comment officially puts this discussion into Romper Room territory, so I’m out. Maybe you’d like to compare Newton tax bills next. At any rate, it’s clear that you have zero understanding what my position is (hint: it’s not “opposition”). And it’s clear that there are maybe 2 or 3 people left who aren’t completely sick of this topic.
Michael, in case you haven’t left, you seem to be suggesting that voters were conned by a large money making MJ organization similar to the ones supporting charter schools. I suppose that could be true for some people – I haven’t looked into MJ lobbying groups. Although that wouldn’t be the reason many voters, including me, voted to legalize it.
Of course medical dispensaries want to add recreation sales now that they are legal. There is more profit involved and they’ve already jumped through the bureaucratic hoops and community outrage to open their dispensary. Both are legal in MA.
For someone who says he has a live and let live attitude and is supposedly only warning people about the involvement of Big Weed, posting the “dangers” of MJ belies another, or additional, purpose.
Brenda, nowhere in your comment does it actually say you support the legal sale of marijuana. It reads as political mumbo jumbo.
I know City Councilor John Rice is a popular guy in Newton. But it was really disheartening to see him pictured with protestors in The TAB. These protestors at the proposed clinic are stigmatizing and intimidating cannabis patients. They are attempting to limit and block patient access to prescription medication in Newton. So when I saw the photo of Rice in The TAB I wondered what he was doing there? What words did he use with the protestors? Did he chastise them for infringing on the healthcare rights of others as he should have, or did he pander for votes by assuring the crowd that he would consider and address their misguided concerns. Given the fact that Rice just voted for the cannabis moratorium, I’d guess he gave aid and comfort to the protestors.. Maybe he’ll see fit to comment on his disturbing attendance at this event.
Sorry to add to this thread again. I hope I am contributing meaningful new content.
I was at the Garden Remedies neighborhood meeting 29 March where GD formally declared its intent to seek a recreational license, and to add retail space and new parking. Maybe about 30-40 people attended.
Neighbors and abutters were there. About eight voiced points/concerns, including:
– A more aesthetically pleasing fence;
– Repairs to a retaining wall;
– Kudos for cleaning up some of the litter previously on the property;
– Signage to direct traffic out of the proposed parking lot;
– Assurances of sufficient security.
Incidents described by neighbors and abutters since the place opened in 2016:
– A customer once accidentally left car headlights on (shining into an abutter’s home) while in the dispensary, which was annoying;
– A person once was in a car loitering in the parking lot for 40+ minutes, smoking.
[It should be noted Garden Remedies executives claims about 1,000 visits per week. The head of GD encouraged the abutter to contact the dispensary if there is any suspicious activity. Personally, it sounded to me like it was a driver for a MMJ patient who was smoking cigarettes while waiting in the car for the patient to get done shopping.]
Two Newton residents who were neither neighbors nor abutters also voiced concerns including:
– Littering;
– Vagrancy/trespassing;
– Customers purchasing products for resale;
– Availability of products to minors;
– DWI.
The general consensus among neighbors and abutters (at least those present) was, cautiously, that GD has been a good neighbor. The store promised to take up property-related issues with the building owner, and suggested it may pay for some of these improvements out of pocket if necessary.
Side note: The high point (no pun intended) was when an enthusiastic older gentleman outed himself as a medical cardholder and asked everyone who had a medical card in the room to put up their hands. The lawyer for GD interrupted and advised cardholders in the audience please *not* to put up their hands or identify themselves unless they specifically chose to do so.