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Marijuana dispensary in West Roxbury could get city seal of non-disapproval next week

The Boston City Council next week will likely consider an application for a medical-marijuana dispensary on VFW Parkway, just past the Dedham line.

Following a hearing on the issue today, City Councilor Matt O'Malley (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain), said he would urge his fellow counselors next Wednesday to formally not disapprove of the proposed dispensary, whose operators say could provide marijuana in various forms to up to 150 people a day - some of them patients at the nearby VA hospital. At-large Councilor Michelle Wu said she would join with O'Malley.

After voters approved medical-marijuana use in 2012, the council decided it will never formally "approve" a medical-marijuana dispensary, but it would issue letters of "non-disapproval" on certain dispensaries to the city Board of Appeals and the state Department of Public Health, which have final say on siting dispensaries, and which require letters of support or non disapproval from the council. Boston currently has one open dispensary, on Milk Street downtown; the Board of Appeals approved a Newbury Street dispensary in November.

O'Malley said he agreed to not disapprove Beacon Compassion Center's proposed dispensary at 1524 VFW Parkway, in the same strip mall as the Amazing.net sex-toy shop, after the company agreed to a provision in its possible zoning approval that it not shift into recreational marijuana sales if the state ever actually gets around to approving such sales.

In addition to agreeing not to get into recreational pot, Beacon CEO Rina Cametti told a small group of councilors and onlookers at today's hearing that the dispensary would not stock any edibles that a child might want to eat and would bar customers from consuming their purchases in the dispensary or parking lot. Only people with a doctor's prescription and a state marijuana ID card will be allowed in.

She added that the dispensary, not near any schools or parks, would employ a variety of security steps to prevent thefts or other problems, including extensive use of biometric and ID scanners, surveillance cameras, limited on-site storage of products and cash and a "mantrap" - basically a vestibule into which people seeking entry would be allowed in and then locked in as their identities are verified via scanner and camera.

Unlike the Amazing.net and other stores in the strip mall, Beacon would have only a small "nondescript" sign, Cametti said, adding all products would be packaged before they are delivered to the dispensary to minimize any possible odors.

In addition to O'Malley and Wu, local neighborhood associations, including the one representing the residents of the trailer park across the parkway, voiced non-opposition.

Cametti said that officials at the VA hospital told Beacon representatives that they understand the need for medical marijuana and would not voice opposition to the proposed dispensary, but that they could not publicly support it due to current conditions in Washington.

Cametti said her company has also won approval for dispensaries in Framingham and New Bedford, although neither have yet to open. Beacon is still negotiating with Attleboro to open a factory in which to grow the marijuana.

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In addition to agreeing not to get into recreational pot, Beacon CEO Rina Cametti told a small group of councilors and onlookers at today's hearing that the dispensary would not stock any edibles that a child might want to eat and would bar customers from consuming their purchases in the dispensary or parking lot. Only people with a doctor's prescription and a state marijuana ID card will be allowed in.

She added that the dispensary, not near any schools or parks, would employ a variety of security steps to prevent thefts or other problems, including extensive use of biometric and ID scanners, surveillance cameras, limited on-site storage of products and cash and a "mantrap" - basically a vestibule into which people seeking entry would be allowed in and then locked in as their identities are verified via scanner and camera.

How she describes it makes it sound like no other place does this. However if you've ever been to a dispensary yourself, this is everything here common practice. Again, this place needs to TELL the clueless people how really is inside. *eye roll*

I also like how she has to say:

would bar customers from consuming their purchases in the dispensary or parking lot

Again, THIS IS STATE LAW.

Furthermore..

he dispensary would not stock any edibles that a child might want to eat

Soooooooooooo like any food item?

Also, ever buy one? They come in sealed, child proof containers, and you aren't allowed to leave the pot store without it being a High Sierra bag (smell proof, child proof zipper bag).

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Just another big f'ing eye roll. Ive just grown tired of the "but the children" argument on anything adult oriented. Nanny state wins again.. gosh for bid people do something strangely called PARENTING and not allow the state to dictate how you raise your child.

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Awesome.
I don't use much pot. Never have. But am I alone in feeling as though people are generally likely to do significantly dumber/more aggressive shit when drunk than high? I'd much rather deal with someone after smoking a joint than someone who has just polished of a 5th or a 6 pack.
And the kids argument... Just stop. Parents must parent. Between cigarettes alcohol & guns these days. (As a parent) Bring on thw pot. Please!

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And if you want to vote against you have to vote, "I don't not disapprove"

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The fact that minority communities and lower income sections of this city are under served by the current dispensary rollout in the City Of Boston can be blamed on a number of factors.

Chief being the sleazy and scummy moves of one man and the dispensary he represents: Dan Delaney.

If you don't know Dan, he's a low rent K Street wannabe and scumbag who only has two clients for his "lobbying" efforts: the two ex Goldman scumbags who own Patriot Care and some acupuncture concern.

The two Goldman scumbags knew that Mahty was dead set against dispensaries in Boston and that the only way they could be the only game in town was to hire Dan Delaney. Dan is a low rent Ivy League maggot who, like so many scumbags in his line of "work", decided that all the years he spent at the DPH would come in handy in both the nascent pot business and the nascent lobbying business he traded his government contacts for. So Dan gets Mahty or whoever to "modify" their position on weed, Patriot Care has the only monopoly on the dispensary business, as long as they stay out of the rec business. Well, that arrangement seems to have been contingent on Dan getting paid to make sure that any patients in Grove Hall have to shag their asses down to Milk Street during the day in the Financial district to get their legal weed, as Dan has made certain of that.

When confronted with the question of how the low income glaucoma patient or the disabled Iraq war is going to get down to Milk Street during the day, during the week, to get their medicine in direct questioning from me, what was Dan Delaney's compassionate response?

"There is plenty of public transportation to Patriot Care".

That's about all you need to know about Dan Delaney.

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some of them patients at the nearby VA hospital

laughing at this because the VA is not allowed to prescribe, research, or have anything to do with medical marijuana. and if their patients get a weed RX from their private doctor, the VA tests them for it and uses that as a basis to deny prescribing pain management.

thanks, jeff sessions, you bozo

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Who's going to back my Kickstarter to put up a sign by the Taco Bell that says 'Now entering the seedy underbelly of West Roxbury' or possibly 'Welcome to West Sinsbury'

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There are much seedier areas of West Roxbury (which I shall not name). I like the idea of keeping businesses like this out in the open where there is lots of traffic and lots of eyes.

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