Patients on Newton’s south side who are undergoing chemotherapy, suffering from multiple sclerosis, AIDS, chronic pain or other ailments whose doctors believe they could benefit from medical marijuana may soon have access to a new clinic closer to home.
The Newton City Council’s Land Use committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on a proposal by Cypress Tree Management Inc to operate a medical clinic at the corner of Route 9 and Elliot Street at the site of the former Green Tea Restaurant.
Cannabinoids — the active chemicals in medical marijuana — have been found to help control nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, kill cancer cells and slow tumor growth, reduce anxiety, reduce inflammation, relieve pain, relax tight muscles in people with multiple sclerosis and stimulate appetite and improve weight gain in people with cancer and AIDS.
Presently the only clinic in Newton where patients can have a cannabis prescription from their doctor filled is on the other side of the city at Garden Remedies on Washington Street. Although this proposed clinic would be located in a non-descript strip mall on a heavily-traveled area adjacent to a CVS, liquor store, dry cleaner, laundromat and gas station; some residents on the opposite side of Elliot object to the clinic, citing concerns about their “kids, homes and traffic” –even as police report no kids, homes or traffic problems at Garden Remedies.
Like Garden Remedies, Cypress Tree’s owners have said that they hope to one day offer recreational marijuana at 24-26 Elliot Street as well. But Tuesday’s vote — which will also eventually go before the full council for approval — is only for doctor-prescribed medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana was passed by voters in 2012. The [then] Board of Aldermen promptly implemented a moratorium that cascaded into a three year delay in medication availability, and forced patients to travel outside the city to fill their prescriptions. Here we are 6 years later and there’s still only one medical dispensary in the entire city. To call the City Council’s handling of medical marijuana a “disgrace,” would be a gross understatement. They have allowed ignorance and fear to dictate public policy to the serious detriment of medical patients.
Can you imagine how nuts these people are going to get when they realize that there’s marijuana delivery?
I noticed approaching the Rt. 9/Elliott Street intersection Eastbound, resident lawn signs have been switched from “no pot shop” to “no *recreational* pot shops”. That gives me hope we’re gradually getting toward agreement over hosting a medical-only facility at the site.
The dearth of comments here also seems to suggest that there’s not a lot of opposition to this clinic, which is great news because medical marijuana can help people in meaningful ways. Here’s hoping the committee and council votes reflect the same perspective.
Land Use approved this 7-0 Tuesday night. It now goes to the full council for final approval.