The Boston City Council today called for a hearing on the medical-marijuana dispensaries the state recently approved for Boylston Street in the Back Bay and Southampton Street on the South End/Roxbury line.
Councilor Steve Murphy (at large), who submitted a letter of "non opposition" to the general idea of dispensaries was blunt: "I was lied to" by the operators of the proposed Boylston Street facility - who listed him as supporting their specific location.
Although councilors said they had questions about both proposed facilities, they really tore into the concern approved for the Southampton Street dispensary.
Councilor Tito Jackson (Roxbury) said the company's state filings misrepresented the fact he had met with company officials as "support" for the project.
He said he never would have supported a dispensary on Southampton Street, because the area already has a jail, a highway, a biolab, homeless shelters and a methadone clinic that serves large numbers of out-of-towners. He said almost all the people arrested in the area are from outside the city.
Councilor Frank Baker, whose district includes Southampton Street, raised similar concerns.
Baker said the company claimed in its state filings it had the backing of local officials and residents, when, in fact, nobody in his district ever talked to the company - including him.
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Comments
I've said it before...
By Amanda
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 1:34pm
I live in the Newmarket area (where the Southhampton St location is planned), and I'll take the medical pot dispensary planned for the old Skipton's space over what's there currently.
Know what's there now?
Nothing.
Where''s the beef?
By kvn
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 2:57pm
Where''s the beef?
Please,
By Young Urban Unp...
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 6:37pm
tell us more about how you live in a commercial district...
: ]
Railroad cut...
By dmcboston
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 8:42am
...south side, near the Nstar facility or maybe there's a loft on Pompeii St. or maybe near the old Jetaway trash transfer station.
There are residences in
By Amanda
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 11:51am
There are residences in Newmaket. Not in the Square. Pompeii, Chesterton, Magazine St...
Yes, Jackson mentioned them
By adamg
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 11:53am
In explaining why that area has had enough.
Why again?
By anon
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 1:35pm
Why do cities and towns have boo to say about businesses so long as they conform to zoning?
The mind boggles - this should be a state-only thing. Get these goobers out of it!
Communications fail at Boston City Council.
By theszak
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 1:46pm
Communications fail at Boston City Council. Communicating is problematical with members of the Council and with the 100 or so Council staff, contractors, consultants, etc. Better mechanisms, more mechanisms are needed for interacting with Boston City Council. Not one of the 100 or so Council staff have advanced knowledge of new technologies and software. More knowledgeable staff are needed but present a challenge to the Council Staff Director, the Council Messenger, the Council Stenographer that haven't familiarity with new technologies and software.
In other words...
By Brian Riccio
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 1:57pm
"Where the fuck are our discreetly delivered envelopes?"
Or
By anon
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 2:10pm
"We didn't read the thing."
Times Change...
By A curmedgeon
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 3:08pm
Envelopes?
Used to be, you left the portraits of dead presidents in the desk drawer while the owner of the desk went out to use the restroom.
Now they probably want Bitcoins.
(Or maybe, in this case, some of the product in order to test its efficacy.)
Objection to Southampton St.
By Markk02474
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 2:54pm
I would expect the greatest opposition to the location to come from local drug dealers who don't want the competition. Is this who the City Counsel is trying to protect? Or is it police who get to catch even more out of towners brought to them, thus not having to look for them.
Oh Yeah. Right.
By anon
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 3:32pm
Because a 60yr old with cancer is really going to buy on the street.
Yeah. That.
Better Raise That Age A Bit
By Suldog
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 6:08pm
I'm 57 and I used to sell on my street. So did many of my buddies. And so did lots of our older brothers. And I don't suppose any of us would have any problem with buying stuff in whatever way we had to if a need arose, you whippersnapper!
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Uh...
By Kaz
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 7:33am
A "child of the 1960's" (let's say 15 in 1965 and well aware of how 'groovy' weed is) would be 63 or 64 today.
So, yeah. They ARE the ones out there buying weed on the street to get over the nausea from their chemo.
Councilors say they were lied
By ThePublic
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 3:18pm
Now they know what it feels like when they do it to us!
I see what you did there
By aldos
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 3:18pm
Very good.
Re: Baker's comments
By rsybuchanan
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 3:22pm
nobody in his district ever talked to the company - including him
Maybe they spoke to one of the local citizens groups which seem to proliferate around these parts. The Southampton Street Committee for Historically Accurate Doobage, or some such.
Murphy supports marijuana
By Hyde_Parker
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 4:07pm
Murphy supports marijuana dispensaries "in theory" until one opens up "in reality" in his districts?
I'm not sure if I would want one as a neighbor. On the other hand, if these places step out of line even one millimeter they are going to get shut down, so I think they would go out of their way to ensure that there were no problems.
Do you live near a CVS?
By Kaz
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 7:36am
Oxy and a lot of other harder drugs than pot are coming out of your average CVS every day. What makes you think a medical marijuana dispensary is going to be less secure or more likely to draw a criminal element (or be a bad neighbor) than a CVS?
And...
By bosguy22
Thu, 02/13/2014 - 8:48am
Boylston St isn't a residential neighborhood. What type of clientele do they think are going to frequent this dispensary? Why would it be so horrible for someone to leave say Jos. A Bank and walk over and pick up their marijuana prescription. There's a liquor store on that street, what's the difference, they're both legal substances.
Contract for software at Boston City Council
By theszak
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 5:00pm
Contract for software at Boston City Council
https://muckrock.s3.amazonaws.com/foia_files/SIRE_...
Butthurt
By Highpahkguy
Wed, 02/12/2014 - 9:29pm
Sounds to me that politicians don't like when people vote for something that the council member(s) don't like.