Leather District pot shop comes step closer

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved plans for a marijuana store on Atlantic Avenue at Beach Street.

Desiree Franjul's Stone’s Throw Cannabis, 757 Atlantic Ave., now goes to the state Cannabis Control Commission for the last major approval it needs before it can open, with hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday.

City Councilors Ed Flynn and Michael Flaherty joined with some local resident in opposing the proposal, siting the potential for both increased traffic in the congested area and marijuana smoke flowing into nearby residences from customers too impatient to get home to toke up.

One local business owner, however, said if residents were so concerned about traffic and fumes, maybe residents should work to eliminate cars and liquor stores from the neighborhood.

The shop would be on two floors, with customer space on the ground level and offices and a vault on the second. Franjul's attorney, Mike Ross, told the board a ground-floor vault used for storage during business hours would be located under the second-floor vault, with a dumbwaiter connecting the two, which would mean "vault to vault transfer" so that employees would not have to carry products out in the open between the two floors.

The board's approval was unanimous.