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Board approves marijuana-delivery service in Grove Hall, a block from cannabis shop

The Zoning Board of Appeal today approved entrepreneurs' plans to turn a dilapidated Blue Hill Avenue building into a home-delivery marijuana service that will use three unmarked vans to ferry orders to customers.

Unlike in the past, when board members would often raise loud objections to placing marijuana businesses within a half mile of each other, board members said they were fine with EnRoot's proposed location at Blue Hill Avenue at Devon Street, just down the street from Pure Oasis, because EnRoot will only make deliveries - there will be no walk-in trade - while Pure Oasis is a more traditional store where customers will come and go.

Because of the different business models, even member Mark Erlich, one of the board's more vocal critics of the cannabis board's repeated approval of cannabis concerns closer than the half-mile separation called for by city zoning, said he could support EnRoot.

EnRoot now needs to win approval from the state Cannabis Control Commission to open.

Board members approved the project with the proviso that EnRoot's owners, Brian and Joanne Keith, work with BPDA planners to develop an exterior design that doesn't make the building simply look like "a fortress" a neighborhood shopping district. Board member Joe Ruggiero said he hopes the two sides can come up with a design that will "make it look like a neighborhood shopping building," even if it's really basically a vault with delivery drivers coming and going.

Also supporting the proposal: At-large City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune (at large) and state Rep. Liz Miranda (5th Suffolk), who praised the concern's vows to hire 40 local residents.

Opposition came from local religious leaders.

Sister Virginia Muhammad said she worries that Grove Hall will soon be bursting with smoke shops and cannabis outlets, and said she doesn't believe EnRoot will really be hiring 40 people.

The Rev. Miniard Culpepper - who is running against Miranda for state senate - argued the concern would be the epitome of "spot zoning." When board Chairwoman Christine Araujo said no, it wouldn't, that spot zoning is something entirely different, Culpepper kept arguing it was, that the proposed use was different from the surrounding area and that makes it spot zoning. Araujo eventually cut him off.

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Comments

Is more legalized drugs.

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Oh no, the weed is ruining society!

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Particularly the "legalized" part, so we can stop ruining people's lives with criminal charges.

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Well, if as is happening that people are reducing or eliminating alcohol and using cannabis instead I think it is good. THC doesn’t have the correlates with violence including domestic abuse that alcohol does. Much fewer fights of people high on THC than alcohol.

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Not true at all. Just stop. If you want to be a good Dad, stop abusing ALL aubstances.

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Despite what Laura Ingraham tells her paranoid, rage filled viewers.

Sorry, the angry blonde TV lady is only lying to you for ratings.

Sucker.

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Actually, very true and being a cannabis user doesn't make you a bad parent. So you should just stop w/ that BS. If you want your kids to be properly informed maybe you should be as well.

By your logic parents shouldn't do anything that's "bad" for them - correct? So your list must include:

ciggies
booze
meat
fried foods
caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, Red Bull, etc)
Tonic
watching TV
phones
playing video games

I could add more but I think you get the point.

Moderation darling - in all things.

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You know most people can partake of substances without abusing them, right? Also, people can have problematic or abusive use of television, internet, money, tweezers, or exercising. Most people use most things safely and constructively on the whole though.

Things existing doesn't cause people to abuse them.

And while I'm not personally a fan of cannabis and am a fan of moderate social alcohol use, I will say that cannabis is objectively much safer than alcohol. It has similar overall relaxing effects for those who can use it safely, but doesn't cause the same type of disinhibition combined with bravado. People who have had a bit too much cannabis laugh at stupid shit, eat Cheetos, and fall asleep. They don't get "brilliant" ideas that end in themselves or someone else being hurt the way people commonly do with alcohol. Oh, and there's never been a death reported from an overdose of cannabis, and there are comparatively many many fewer deaths and serious injuries from cannabis-related impairment (still obviously not a good idea to use it while driving or participating in risky activities).

I say bring it the fuck on.

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But some of us drink as regular customers at our neighborhood bar and enjoy seeing each other when we stop in
There is never any problem. It's just bar room etiquette. Don't take away my medicinal brew and counting on the company of my fellow regulars!

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It would like its reels of Reefer Madness back.

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Of 420 distribution, get priority consideration for hiring?

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The city will never be overrun with cannabis businesses because demand is finite. Some goes with alcohol. Let the market optimize where they're located.

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