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A32 FEATURE
Friday 9 November 2018
After long wait, 1st legal pot shops on East Coast to open

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) "It's in plain view now so I'm
— With its youthful vibe and happy about that," said
eclectic mix of culture, a Bernardo, a 36-year-old
small Massachusetts city professional musician, as
seems a logical site for he pushed his young son
the nation's first legal rec- in a stroller through a city
reational marijuana sales park. "For years, I've been
east of Colorado. feeling that marijuana is no
An existing medical more of a danger to soci-
marijuana dispensary in ety than alcohol."
Northampton — nestled Massachusetts hopes to
in Massachusetts' scenic sidestep supply problems
Pioneer Valley — plans to and other early pitfalls ex-
open its doors within days perienced in legal states,
to anyone 21 or older look- and most recently in Can-
ing for products ranging ada, where consumers
from pre-rolled joints to endured rampant short-
cannabis-infused edibles, ages after sales began last
creams, lotions and cook- month. California, which
ing oils. A second store in kicked off recreational
the small town of Leices- sales on Jan. 1, remains in
ter could also open at or a challenging transition
around the same time, period as it attempts to
while dozens of other re- In this Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 photo a humidity indicator rests in a bowl of a strain of can- transform what was once
tail applicants await final nabis called "Walker Kush" at New England Treatment Access medical cannabis dispensary, in a largely vast, illegal mar-
licensing approval from Northampton, Mass. ket into a multibillion-dollar,
state regulators. Associated Press regulated economy.
The initial openings come Like Massachusetts, many
two full years after Massa- tion grew among would-be "It's already counter-cul- the current illegal, untaxed areas of California have
chusetts residents backed businesses and consumers ture. It's like their custom- and untested industry with banned commercial pot
legalization, a vote hailed alike. ers are already here," said one that is controlled, regu- activity. Initial tax collec-
by a burgeoning cannabis Officials in many communi- Steve Morin, a 68-year-old lated, taxed and tested," tions have been well below
industry eager to expand its ties, including some where retired delivery truck driv- said Norton Albaraez, the projections and a shaky
geographic base beyond a majority of voters had ap- er and Air Force veteran company's director of gov- supply chain has customers
the several western U.S. proved legal recreational who lives in Springfield, ernment affairs. looking at barren shelves in
states where recreational marijuana, kept pot shops Massachusetts. He visits Anticipating long lines some shops. Washington
marijuana is sold. away through moratoriums Northampton frequently forming when the store first state launched legal mari-
Massachusetts is projected or zoning restrictions, or by and described himself as opens, NETA has worked juana sales in mid-2014,
to see sales of at least $1.8 demanding a steep price an occasional marijuana closely with police and city shortly after Colorado, fol-
billion and as high as $5 bil- from cannabis businesses in user who may shop in the officials on traffic and park- lowing a lengthy scramble
lion annually, industry lead- exchange for signing host store when it opens. ing issues, and retained to license growers, proces-
ers predict. community agreements. "It will be good for tourism," former Boston Police Com- sors and stores, all of whom
But the road to legal sales Not Northampton, which he added. missioner Ed Davis — who had to contest a gantlet of
has been a long and te- appeared to roll out the The city's bustling down- became a national figure regulations ranging from
dious one. The original tar- welcome mat. While about town sports trendy restau- in the aftermath of the 2013 what pesticides they could
get date of Jan. 1, 2018, 54 percent of all Massachu- rants and coffee shops, Boston Marathon bomb- use to local zoning rules.
was almost immediately setts voters supported the bookstores, galleries and ings — as a security consul- Only four stores opened
pushed back six months 2016 referendum, 73 per- a performing arts center. tant, Albaraez said. on the first day of sales,
by the Legislature, Then cent in Northampton gave Northampton is home to Public safety isn't a major with customers waiting in
the July 1 date came, and their blessing, one of the Smith College, an elite lib- concern for Northampton long lines to pay exorbitant
went and still no stores were widest margins anywhere eral arts school for women residents like Anthony Ber- prices for marijuana also in
cleared to open. Frustra- in the state. and one of several col- nardo. short supply.q
leges and universities — in-
cluding the 30,000-student
University of Massachusetts
flagship campus — within
a 10-mile radius of the city.
Most undergrads, however,
aren't old enough to buy
marijuana legally.
New England Treatment
Access, which operates
the dispensary, is hoping for
the distinction of being the
first commercial pot shop
to open east of the Missis-
sippi.
In this Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 photo patient service associ-
ates Savannah Stuitje, left, and Josh Hirst, right, stand at a coun- "There exists a marketplace In this Wednesday, Oct. 17, 2018 photo vape dispensers that
ter that features a display of vape dispensers at New England for marijuana right now in could be used for legal recreational cannabis, when it becomes
Treatment Access medical marijuana dispensary, in Northamp- Massachusetts and it's our legally available, rest on a shelf at New England Treatment Ac-
ton, Mass. job as a regulated indus- cess medical marijuana dispensary, in Northampton, Mass.
Associated Press try to over time displace Associated Press