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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 10 March 2020
First recreational pot shop in a major East Coast city opens

By PHILIP MARCELO board member for the Mi-
Associated Press nority Cannabis Business
BOSTON (AP) — Boston's first Association.
pot shop opened Monday, "It's worthy of acknowl-
marking the first recreation- edgement, but at the
al marijuana store to open same time, it's nothing to
in a major East Coast city. celebrate," he said. "We've
Pure Oasis is also among got a long way to go be-
the few retail stores in the fore creating equity."
country owned and oper- Few of the 11 states that
ated by people of color, have legalized marijuana
who experts say have track how many people of
struggled to break into the color own pot companies,
industry. Massachusetts' Khalatbari said, so industry
ballot initiative was the first groups have turned to their
to insert specific language own surveys.
aimed at encouraging In Colorado, which was
people of color and oth- one of the first to legal-
ers harmed by the war on ize marijuana, in 2012, less
drugs to participate in the than 1% of all marijuana
new industry. operations are owned by
Matt Simon, New England people of color, the Minor-
political director for the ity Cannabis Business As- Kevin Hart, front left, co-owner of Pure Oasis recreational marijuana shop, completes a sale of
Marijuana Policy Project, sociation has estimated. In cannabis products to the stores first customer Niambe McIntosh, front right, moments after the
hailed the opening as a California, which legalized store opened for the first time, Monday, March 9, 2020, in Boston.
"huge milestone" for the East recreational marijuana Associated Press
Coast, where most jurisdic- use in 2016, about 20% of dense and diverse neigh- changes and create new in 2017.
tions — save for Massachu- cannabis companies have borhood about 4 miles opportunities." "This moves the needle to-
setts, Vermont, Maine and some degree of ownership south of downtown Boston, Niambe McIntosh, who is wards justice," said McIn-
the District of Columbia — stake from a person of col- with those needs in mind. the daughter of the late tosh after making the first
have approved cannabis or, according to a recent Among their 30 or so staff- Jamaican reggae star Pe- official purchase at the
for medicinal use only. survey by Marijuana Busi- ers are residents who live ter Tosh and grew up a few store.
"This is only the beginning," ness Daily. within walking distance blocks from the storefront, Renee Brown, a 52-year-old
he said. "The fact that this is But it's not just about in- from the shop, as well as said its opening is a "victo- Dorchester resident who
just the first in Boston shows creasing minority own- people with prior criminal ry" for families like hers that was among those wait-
how this is such an early ership of pot businesses, records, said Evans. have been harmed by the ing hours before the store
market on this coast." Khalatbari and other ad- "The war on drugs had a war on drugs. opened Monday, agreed.
But the store's opening also vocates. Minority and dis- very detrimental impact on McIntosh's father was a "Hopefully this brings in
underscores how minority advantaged communities neighborhoods like this," Ev- cannabis activist famous new money and invest-
entrepreneurs are already should also benefit through ans said after letting in the for the song "Legalize It," ment and helps build up
falling behind in the nation- more jobs for residents or store's first wave of 50 or so and her brother, Jawara this neighborhood," she
al industry, despite promises other community invest- customers. McIntosh, suffered severe said after purchasing some
they would be prioritized, ments. "We're here to try and rem- brain injuries after being at- marijuana patches that
said Kayvan Khalatbari, a Pure Oasis owners Kobie edy some of those nega- tacked by another inmate she hopes will help with her
Denver-based marijuana Evans and Kevin Hart say tive effects. We're trying while serving a sentence for persistent knee and back
consultant and former they picked Dorchester, a to give people second marijuana-related charges pain.q
Plan outlined for donations in Pittsburgh synagogue attack

PITTSBURGH (AP) — About
$5.5 million that poured in
from donors after the 2018
Pittsburgh synagogue at-
tack that killed 11 worship-
pers is being distributed ac-
cording to a plan outlined
Monday by Jewish groups.
The largest share, just over
$3 million, will go to the
families of those killed and
to two people who were
seriously injured. Donations
are also being distributed
to people who were in the This Oct. 27, 2019 file photo shows passers by pausing outside
Tree of Life building during the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh on the first anniversary of
the attack, in honor of first the shooting at the synagogue, that killed 11 worshippers.
responders and to the con-
gregations. the Jewish Federation of to help Tree of Life, which
The payouts are based on Greater Pittsburgh. owns the building, as well
recommendations by an The group’s report issued in as the two tenant congre-
independent, volunteer February said donors prob- gations, Dor Hadash and
committee created by ably expected their gifts New Light.q