12 Comments

1. 

   Dulles on June 2, 2019 at 5:25 pm

   I’ll start with a side note relevant to this discussion. Just in recent weeks we’ve had two more dueling studies issued. Both make pretty interesting reading.

   The pro-pot site Leafly compiled conclusions from 42 reports (“Debunking Dispensary Myths,” May 2019) to show real estate around dispensaries tends to increase in value, and that the presence of a dispensary does not correlate to an increase in crime or in underage use.

   Quickly following was the Massachusetts Prevention Alliance (MAPA) issued report (“Statement of Concern,” May 2019) citing 61 sources. This report calls for a punch list of 2 pages of additional oversight, regulations and restrictions in Massachusetts, starting with suspension of dispensary licensing until a re-assessment is completed.

2. 

   Mike Striar on June 2, 2019 at 7:15 pm

   Freedom and democracy should be celebrated. Did the Mayor or any other elected “leader” show up to embrace the historic moment at Garden Remedies?

3. 

   Laurie on June 3, 2019 at 7:27 am

   I’m copying this from a post on a West Newton group post. It would be nice to get more feedback from people in the neighborhood.

   “FROM THE MAYORS EMAIL – “Garden Remedies is hiring Newton Police details to be on hand for at least the first 90 days of operation to help with traffic, parking and any other issues.”

   I just drove by Garden Remedies and there were NO POLICE and a Newton Resident was Screaming at the Door Monitor that Patrons of Garden Remedies are parking in front of his home and smoking and leaving their trash.

   I thought that Newton Police were to be there for at least the first 90 days????

   Maybe someone from the Dept of Health should be investigating”

4. 

   Max Goldsmith on June 3, 2019 at 9:44 am

   @ Laurie: you posted at 7:27 am that you “just drove by”. They don’t open until 10. Hmmm?

5. 

   Laurie on June 3, 2019 at 9:49 am

   @Max: I was re-posting a message from someone else that I saw on a West Newton message board posted on Saturday, June 1. i thought I made that clear, but sorry for the confusion.

6. 

   Mary Mary Quite Contrary on June 3, 2019 at 9:56 am

   I’ve passed by it plenty of times since it began selling recreational marijuana and have always seen a police officer there and I’ve never seen any riff-raff. I’m not necessarily saying that the person fabricated what they saw, but it certainly doesnt seem to be the norm based off my observations.

7. 

   Newton Runner on June 3, 2019 at 10:50 am

   @Laurie, you made it very clear that you were re-posting someone else’s message. You clearly stated “I’m copying this from a post on a West Newton group post” and then you put the entire post in quotation marks. You definitely didn’t deserve that comment from Max, no apology necessary.

8. 

   Max Goldsmith on June 3, 2019 at 11:06 am

   My apologies, Laurie. I missed the quotation marks at the very end.

9. 

   Michael A. Milburn on June 3, 2019 at 1:05 pm

   We drove by repeatedly over the course of several days, just doing errands, and there was no line and there was a policeman standing around with nothing to do. We got an appointment and went in–efficient, clean–just a store.

   • 

     Greg Reibman on June 3, 2019 at 1:57 pm

     So we have an anonymous person quoting an unnamed person on a private list serve about an unnamed resident screaming about unnamed people leaving trash and smoking in front of this unknown person’s home at an unknown time and date. Sounds like proof a problem to me.

10. 

    Laurie on June 3, 2019 at 2:38 pm

    I have no idea if this is a common occurrence or a one-off thing. But I do think it is legit. As it turns out, the anonymous person who posted on the listserv saw this post on V14 and figured out this post might be me (it turns out we are friends of friends), and gave these further details about the guy coming to scream at GR about people smoking and parking in front of his house and leaving trash. Apparently it happened around 3:30 on Saturday if GR wants to review the tapes:

    “I was actually concerned as I was stopped at that light and this guy wearing the Kindergarten Soccer shirt with Coach on the back was screaming.

    And there were NO POLICE. Now they might have been on some sort of break or something like that but I don’t know. And there was the door person there also screaming back at the Upset Neighbor.”

    I myself have not seen a much commotion around GR when I have driven by, but its possible neighbors might be experiencing occasional or more than occasional annoyances.

11. 

    Crumpy on June 3, 2019 at 3:41 pm

    In reviewing the comments, it certainly seems that Garden Remedies has been about as disruptive as a new clothing store opening up in the neighborhood, and far less disruptive than a convenience store opening up in the neighborhood.