First Pot Shop In Greater Boston Opens In Brookline
BROOKLINE (CBS) -- The first pot shop in the greater Boston area opened its doors at 9 a.m. Saturday. The New England Treatment Access in Brookline is just half a mile away from Boston city limits.
A police detail and a few customers were there hours before NETA's official opening. The line then grew to about 100.
The store's parking lot will be closed to vehicles to make room for customers to line up. There will be an express line for people who order ahead online and no line for medical patients.
NETA's First customer in line is 38yr old, James Jenner of Salem. Originally from Brighton. Jenner sufferers from diabetic pressure sores. The amputee uses marijuana for pain. He's excited to purchase pot, so close to home. #Neta #brookline #grandopening @wbz pic.twitter.com/dBtB7XTefB
— TashaneaWhitlowNews (@TSWHITLOW) March 23, 2019
Brookline Select Board Chair Neil Wishinsky was the first customer. "Hopefully it will mean an additional tax revenue and hopefully additional business for some of the surrounding merchants," he said.
James Jenner, a Lyft driver, was happy that the pot shop makes using marijuana "a normality as opposed to something that is shunned against or frowned upon."
Tom Sullivan, also a Lyft driver said, "As you know driving thru the streets of Boston is pretty nerve-wracking. by the time you get home, you need a little something."
Neighboring businesses are concerned about the limited parking causing congestion in the area but NETA Director of Operational Compliance Amanda Rositano hopes people will opt for public transportation.
"Being the first dispensary accessible to public transportation, we think that's the best option," said Rositano. Unfortunately, the MBTA is doing some scheduled maintenance on the Green Line's D trains which run nearby, but the T will have shuttle buses running.