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Baker: Pot shops to stay on closed list to prevent flood of out-of-staters
By adamg on Tue, 03/31/2020 - 3:04pm
Gov. Baker says he kept recreational or adult-use marijuana shops on the list of "non-essential" businesses that can not open to the public because the last thing we need is potentially infected people driving into Massachusetts.
Were he to allow the shops to open, there are "tons of evidence" that the state would "have to deal with the fact people are going to come here from all over the place across the Northeast," because Massachusetts is one of the few states in the Northeast with legalized recreational marijuana, Baker said at his daily press conference.
Noting signs on major highways at the state's borders already ask visitors from other states to self quarantine for 14 days should they be planning to stay in Massachusetts, he said that "would create issues for us" in trying to halt the spread of Covid-19.
A number of Boston legislators have asked Baker to reconsider because of the impact on shops owned by members of "economic equity" groups of people who historically bore the brunt of the war on drugs, such as Boston's first pot shop in Grove Hall.
Medicinal-marijuana dispensaries, whose customers require a prescription, are on the state's list of "essential" businesses allowed to stay open.
Watch his marijuana comments:
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Comments
Does this apply to medicinal shops as well?
I don't have a medical card but I'm curious as to whether those who use cannabis for legitimate medicinal purposes will still have a reliable source.
EDIT: never mind didn't catch the last paragraph there, ignore me
Not as of last week
Medical dispensaries were designated as 'essential'
https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/03/coronavirus-medical-marijua...
If you don't have a card,
I'd get one. The money you save on taxes alone absorbs the cost quickly and you don't have to wait in the rec lines. They prioritize card holders.
How does one get a card?
n/t
Canna Care Docs
Canna Care Docs
As much as I'd love one
as the stuff does really help me deal with anxiety, I work for a public agency and would rather not risk the potential drama.
Mass will be bankrupt come
Mass will be bankrupt come fall. Weed will be wiped out and these companies are losing 2mil a day that they aren't selling rec weed.
Yup was just told by a person
Yup was just told by a person connected that growing operations have shut down and this summer supply will be hit hard.
Why not allow the shops to
Why not allow the shops to remain open but 1) Require them to allow by appointment only 2) Allow only Massachusetts residents and 3) Maybe find a way to streamline pickup as well.
^^^^^ THIS!
There are simple ways to make sure only locals, in safe numbers come to buy.
that's crazy!
and WAY too logical. I was wondering what I should do with that state issued piece of plastic besides buy booze.
on a less snarky note.... Cmon Baker! it's now almost 4 years since marijuana was LEGALIZED. stop being such a d!ck about it already! now I have to go all the way up to Maine and back to Mass. Surely this does not help the stay at home situation for the greater good when you force it.
Playing devil's advocate here....
1. You can get weed if you need it. If you need it to survive, you should have had a prescription for it. The timing of this seems to be the issue, as grocery stores can sell alcohol and cigarettes, but we are probably 10-50 years away from those places selling weed.
2. The demand is so high right now for weed, even appointment only might cause large amounts of people to flock to these shops (just a guess that Baker is probably not taking chances over) Even appointment only and pre order lines are very busy at most MA shops.
3. Besides Boston, Western MA has a lot of out of state visitors who will come to those shops.
4. If a weed shop can stay open, why can't x or y shop stay open?
5. People are talking about edibles? I thought only medical patients could get edibles anyway.
(What should happen is an easier streamlined way for prospective patients to get medical cards if they want to. Just make it easier for those who really need the stuff to get it legally)
That's bigotry.
That's bigotry.
Banning New York State residents from shopping at a business due to the state's rate of coronavirus is just as immoral and disgusting as discriminating against Asians.
MA only is a no-go
Violates interstate commerce.
Tons of evidence?
Charlie is making it up as he goes along.
If there really are "tons of evidence" let's see some, Charlie. How about even an ounce or a pound of evidence? Charlie has been against marijuana legalization from the beginning and he's still fighting the concept. If stores that sell alcohol are essential, then marijuana stores are essential. They both serve the same purpose. As a consumer of both, I'm not sure either is essential, but at least be consistent and fair.
And while we're at it, why are construction businesses, landscapers, and painters considered essential Charlie? What is essential about raking leaves and cutting grass? How about the TruGreen truck on my street yesterday fertilizing my neighbors lawn? How is that essential?
If the goal is to prevent the spread of a deadly disease than shut it all down except truly essential businesses.
Well Charlie
If you had let people open as many as they wanted, there wouldn't be lines. My local liquor store can so social distancing because there's another down the street. Why can't there be this many pot stores?
I hate anons
But this is too stupid to leave unchecked.
Have you ever helped someone through alcohol withdrawal? I mean, real serious years of drinking withdrawal? It is as serious as a heart attack and lasts many days. The seizures are life threatening and even if they don't happen the blood pressure spikes can cause stroke or heart trouble. The emergency rooms routinely deal with people trying to "get sober" on their own. They truly do not need that problem right now. THAT IS WHY LIQUOR STORES ARE DEEMED ESSENTIAL! Motherfuckers who don't have a clue and won't put their name to a post do not deserve a serious response, but some of Adam's readers do.
I have been around a LOT of pot in my younger days and it is just not the same. You're bummed when it is gone and suddenly have no idea why you previously thought Beevis and Butthead were funny, but you do not go into seizures. You grab a beer and finish off your twinkie supply.
If you're interested, read this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312739/
.
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I don’t smoke but I think of
I don’t smoke but I think of weed like I think of coffee. If we weren’t able to get coffee right now life would suck for a lot of people. We might not NEED coffee or weed but in times like this it’s mentally helpful to get through the day.
Put your own name on the post
So your real name is Terrapin? I doubt it. Go ahead. Put your name on the post. Yeah, I didnt think so. Coward.
He just doesn’t like weed
You can legally turn down out of state IDs.
They should just open anyway it’ll give them a better chance at survival. I mean he’s really gonna like the first black owned pit shop to open and close permanently with 2 weeks of sales. That’s sick.
Can’t they just limit it to
Can’t they just limit it to same state residents ask for Mass id?
That makes...
... too much sense for Massachusetts.
Of course they could require a state ID
But in my opinion, Baker is using this public health crisis to override the will of the majority. He was against legalization and he doesn't care if these pot shops suffer or go out of business. If I can buy a six pack of beer during the state shut down, I should be able to buy pot.
Ban cigarettes
According to all the experts cigarette smokers are more likely to suffer dire consequences from the virus. Also since cigarette smokers are stuck in their apartments and houses the chances of a fire are much greater.
Since people are allowed to go outside for walks and fresh air,
they should smoke outside, instead of inside their dwellings, where the risk of fire is far greater.
Many do smoke outside...
... under people’s windows, in doorways, next to ventilation intake areas, on crowded sidewalks, on park benches, in bus shelters, the list is endless.
Ban cigarettes, pipe tobacco and cigars.
And they throw the butts...
...all over the place. They don't even extinguish them. Do they think they just vanish into thin air when they flick them into the street?
I know that,
and it's absolutely asinine. The number of people who really don't give a shit is rather staggering, imho.
By that logic
Ban pot except in pre-made editable form too. Smoking of anything is bad for the lungs.
Sure but...
The effects of edible cannabis are a lot different than inhaled cannabis and very hard to dose. I’m fairly experienced and I’ve had trouble identifying an effective dose.
Obviously inhaling anything other than air right now is probably not the best idea but for some people it’s hard to function without their medicine. I’m personally abstaining myself and trying to stick to edibles if I really need them but thankfully it hasn’t been an issue so far.
Oh but what about vaping it?
That's pretty safe and...uh...oh never mind, maybe not.
Frankly, I think that out-of-staters coming into Massachusetts
would make an already-bad situation worse.
Agreed. While I get
Agreed. While I get suburbanites want to drive into the city to buy weed to get stoned while they're not working, it's just not reasonable to put the additional demand on doctors, nurses, medical staff and dwindling medical resources because YOU are willing to risk getting the virus or unintentionally spreading it to others for your RECREATIONAL high. Sorry kids!
Huh?
There is only one pot shop in the city of Boston. There are far more locations to buy legal pot in the suburbs.
Controls
As others have said, you can put controls on the store to limit sales to people with a Mass ID or who can prove residency with something like an out of state ID but a utility bill in their name with a Mass address.
You can also require the stores to sell only by appointment and to enforce social distancing in the lines outside and while in the store.
Do you know what you can't do? Control the black market that a lot of people will now go back to. So you'll have customers and dealers making all sorts of uncontrolled connections to meet the same ends.
If he really cared about public health he would realize that and not prop up the uncontrolled (in those ways and many more) black market during this crisis.
If you're so desperate to get
If you're so desperate to get a buzz on, crack open a can of beer. Plenty of places deliver beer right to your doorstep. Please don't forget to tip the delivery person. Use an acohol wipe or other disinfectant to wipe down the can. Don't be a spreader.
Nurses and doctors are
Nurses and doctors are risking their lives to treat patients during the pandemic and you potheads are whining because you can't get non-medical weed for a few months. Think of someone other than yourselves. People are taking risks to buy things which are essential to survival: food at the grocery store to feed themselves and their families. Fun-time pot is not essential to survival: it's a non-addictive drug. You do not need recreational pot to survive so therefore you should not be endangering the lives of others just because you feel like getting stoned. There are people with non-Covid19 life-threatening/ terminal illnesses who are having great difficulty getting incredibly important medical treatment right now because of the pandemic!! And you're complaining about recreational pot!!??
potheads? Wow that’s judging.
potheads? Wow that’s judging. I’m sorry do you prefer a glass of wine? It’s just an online discussion no need to try and insult people.
So, I'm curious...
So, I'm curious...
Those of you who believe access to this is important & must be maintained, and that those ineligible can simply be screened out by ID verification which won't be an undue burden to eligible persons - do you feel the same way when it comes to Voter ID?