But he has nothing to do with the marijuana shop on Milk Street (me, I can't stand how EVERY SINGLE RECIPE in his Globe Magazine recipe column calls for kosher salt, sometimes without even specifying how much; nothing against kosher salt per se, but, come on, there are times when just regular salt would do; and yes, I realize how petty it is to be outraged about this stupid ingredient tic of his, but he won the name suit with the Milk Street Cafe, so this is what I'm left with).
And it would appear that a lot of people would agree, but that horse has left the barn. Since we know the affect of concentration of liquor stores and we were sold legalization of recreational marijuana as being no different than alcohol, perhaps we should learn from earlier mistakes.
to believe that overconsumption of marijuana would the same deleterious effect as the overconsumption of alcohol?
we were sold legalization of recreational marijuana as being no different than alcohol
Not sure what you saw but everything I heard (and have experienced) was that recreational marijuana was better than alcohol. Certainly I (and most other people, I'd expect) would rather hang out with someone who's smoked a bit too much vs someone who's drank a bit too much.
If I was king, there would be a rule for a one-to-one ratio of liquor store and pot shops to book store -can't have more liquor or pot stores than established book stores in the neighborhood. With that measure, the number of liquor stores in Dorchester would shrink dramatically, or the number of bookstores could go from 0 to a couple of dozens!
Rooted in Roxbury (A small black owned business) was approved by the Boston Cannabis Board but rejected by the ZBA over arbitrary reasons… as the shop wasn’t in violation of zoning code.
Yet the ZBA is approving multiple downtown establishments that literally break zoning law??
This is why they need to be removed from the process entirely, let Lydia Edwards proposals The ZBA is bad at this and they’re open about them being bad at it.
The Rooted in Roxbury rejection sealed the deal for me
The half-mile rule is non-sensical, puritanic b.s. that never should've been approved. If it were actually enforced in a city like Boston, there'd be what, 3 shops total?
Somehow, cities in Colorado lacking similar caps seem to survive without the stoned barbarian hordes running rampant.
But the other councilors managed to talk him down from that.
They actually had a proposed maximum number of marijuana shops that would allow in Boston. 21 sticks in my head, but I apologize if some marijuana zoning or topology expert tells me I'm wrong.
A half mile in West Roxbury is different from a half mile in Downtown Crossing.
An improvement would be to define the desired spacing in terms of density: for example, "you can't open a weed shop within the circle that's centered on an existing weed shop and is large enough to have 5,000 people living in it.
While that's a step less idiotic than physical distance, it still doesn't account for the difference between commercial districts and residential districts, with the latter being arguably more able to absorb a higher density of weed shops.
A half mile in West Roxbury is different from a half mile in Downtown Crossing.
An improvement would be to define the desired spacing in terms of density: for example, "you can't open a weed shop within the circle that's centered on an existing weed shop and is large enough to have 5,000 people living in it.
While that's a step less idiotic than physical distance, it still doesn't account for the difference between commercial districts and residential districts, with the latter being arguably more able to absorb a higher density of weed shops.
Every third young Bostonian seems to be leaving for Denver, obviously no ones bothered by it. When I was in Denver they were every other block and it didn’t matter other business were around no I saw virtually no lines.
Delivery is available now… can we finally repeal this stupid amendment that was always going to be repealed anyway? Is there anyone who still cares about “the dangers” of weed?
Half the MA marijuana laws were to appease rando old fogeys in various towns. I honestly believe they were just control measures/stops that were always meant to be peeled back and only enforced when convenient for monied parties, if not repealed completely. Because that’s how Mass. does things
Is there anyone who still cares about “the dangers” of weed?
Oh don't you worry, there's still people out there who will come out of the woodwork when these laws try to change. You think they are gone.. nah, they just are waiting for the right moment to take off the pink slippers, put on some real shoes, slip those pearls that will be clutched and head over to the local bitch fest meeting erm I mean Public Meeting to discuss the merits of removing such law.
Anyone in proximity to a smoker, regardless what they are smoking is in danger. Secondhand smoke is a health hazard. It’s also offensive to many. Something that some smokers, no matter what they are smoking, like to ignore.
He said he and his workers already have to deal with "dozens of people" coming in and asking for directions and said he's concerned he'd start getting even more of that once the marijuana market opens.
That's a weird reason to oppose a pot shop. Inadequate signage.
The same ZBA that hands out variances to developers like Halloween candy, and is still recovering from a major bribery scandal, is crying about being stuck in an undesirable situation because other city departments are ignoring the written rules?
"Caught in the middle" is a poor excuse. Read the requirements for a variance Christine, and apply the standards, beginning with evidence of a hardship. If the Mayor, the City Council, the BPDA or any other group want to amend the Zoning Code then follow the procedure in the Enabling Act. Doing it by fiat is a violation of the law, but apparently what everyone in City Hall believes to be perfectly good policy and practice.
Marijuana shops don't require a variance. They're considered a conditional use, which means the assumption is that they should be approved, only with, well, conditions, and that the applicant doesn't have to prove some particular hardship to get.
And part of that is the whole buffer-zone thing, which the board has the power to ignore, which they have, for the most part.
But in all, "conditional" is a bit more nebulous than "variance" and when you've got the city council - and the mayor - approving a half-mile buffer zone and then the mayor and the cannabis board completely ignoring that, yeah, I can see why it might be more of an issue for the zoning board.
But my apologies for not making that clear in my stories on this; I'll be sure to add an explanatory paragraph going forward.
Comments
Milk St?
I hope this makes Kimball unhappy, that is all.
An admirable goal, no doubt ...
But he has nothing to do with the marijuana shop on Milk Street (me, I can't stand how EVERY SINGLE RECIPE in his Globe Magazine recipe column calls for kosher salt, sometimes without even specifying how much; nothing against kosher salt per se, but, come on, there are times when just regular salt would do; and yes, I realize how petty it is to be outraged about this stupid ingredient tic of his, but he won the name suit with the Milk Street Cafe, so this is what I'm left with).
oh I know
I am hoping that he's just offended by people walking past his cafe smoking weed. He's the worst.
Maybe there could be another way…
… to offend him that doesn’t include offending everyone else on the street that will have to smell that shit as well.
I'm open to suggestions!
Canada goose hatchery? Air-horn testing site? Car alarm store?
Maybe there could be another way…
… to offend him that doesn’t include offending everyone else on the street that will have to smell that shit as well.
let the market decide where to put shops
Has there been ANY demonstrated ill effect from proximity to a dispensary? Didn't think so.
For that matter
I see a bunch of ads for delivery of marijuana. If that's becoming a common distribution method, does it matter where the dispensary is located?
At what point do dispensaries become like ghost kitchens and simply don't have public storefronts?
Treat marijuana like alcohol
It's not like there is a feeling that the concentration of liquor stores is considered to be bad.
And yet
as far as I know, there's no law saying that liquor stores must be a certain distance apart. Are you calling for one to be established here?
If I had my druthers? Yes
And it would appear that a lot of people would agree, but that horse has left the barn. Since we know the affect of concentration of liquor stores and we were sold legalization of recreational marijuana as being no different than alcohol, perhaps we should learn from earlier mistakes.
Is there any actual reason
to believe that overconsumption of marijuana would the same deleterious effect as the overconsumption of alcohol?
Not sure what you saw but everything I heard (and have experienced) was that recreational marijuana was better than alcohol. Certainly I (and most other people, I'd expect) would rather hang out with someone who's smoked a bit too much vs someone who's drank a bit too much.
I for one would prefer to hang out …
… with a drinker than a smoker any day.
As far as them being under the influence, it’s about the same for me. Both tend to be bores.
If I was king, there would be
If I was king, there would be a rule for a one-to-one ratio of liquor store and pot shops to book store -can't have more liquor or pot stores than established book stores in the neighborhood. With that measure, the number of liquor stores in Dorchester would shrink dramatically, or the number of bookstores could go from 0 to a couple of dozens!
Of course they approved Tito
Of course they approved Tito Jackson’s spot. Him and every other former politician pot shop gets approved if you haven’t noticed.
So let me get this straight…
Rooted in Roxbury (A small black owned business) was approved by the Boston Cannabis Board but rejected by the ZBA over arbitrary reasons… as the shop wasn’t in violation of zoning code.
Yet the ZBA is approving multiple downtown establishments that literally break zoning law??
This is why they need to be removed from the process entirely, let Lydia Edwards proposals The ZBA is bad at this and they’re open about them being bad at it.
The Rooted in Roxbury rejection sealed the deal for me
Dumb Zoning Strikes Again
The half-mile rule is non-sensical, puritanic b.s. that never should've been approved. If it were actually enforced in a city like Boston, there'd be what, 3 shops total?
Somehow, cities in Colorado lacking similar caps seem to survive without the stoned barbarian hordes running rampant.
Mike Flaherty's original proposal was for a mile buffer
But the other councilors managed to talk him down from that.
They actually had a proposed maximum number of marijuana shops that would allow in Boston. 21 sticks in my head, but I apologize if some marijuana zoning or topology expert tells me I'm wrong.
Distance is a stupid metric
A half mile in West Roxbury is different from a half mile in Downtown Crossing.
An improvement would be to define the desired spacing in terms of density: for example, "you can't open a weed shop within the circle that's centered on an existing weed shop and is large enough to have 5,000 people living in it.
While that's a step less idiotic than physical distance, it still doesn't account for the difference between commercial districts and residential districts, with the latter being arguably more able to absorb a higher density of weed shops.
Distance is a stupid metric
A half mile in West Roxbury is different from a half mile in Downtown Crossing.
An improvement would be to define the desired spacing in terms of density: for example, "you can't open a weed shop within the circle that's centered on an existing weed shop and is large enough to have 5,000 people living in it.
While that's a step less idiotic than physical distance, it still doesn't account for the difference between commercial districts and residential districts, with the latter being arguably more able to absorb a higher density of weed shops.
Denver
Every third young Bostonian seems to be leaving for Denver, obviously no ones bothered by it. When I was in Denver they were every other block and it didn’t matter other business were around no I saw virtually no lines.
Delivery is available now… can we finally repeal this stupid amendment that was always going to be repealed anyway? Is there anyone who still cares about “the dangers” of weed?
Half the MA marijuana laws were to appease rando old fogeys in various towns. I honestly believe they were just control measures/stops that were always meant to be peeled back and only enforced when convenient for monied parties, if not repealed completely. Because that’s how Mass. does things
oh dont you worry
Oh don't you worry, there's still people out there who will come out of the woodwork when these laws try to change. You think they are gone.. nah, they just are waiting for the right moment to take off the pink slippers, put on some real shoes, slip those pearls that will be clutched and head over to the local bitch fest meeting erm I mean Public Meeting to discuss the merits of removing such law.
“ “the dangers” of weed“
Anyone in proximity to a smoker, regardless what they are smoking is in danger. Secondhand smoke is a health hazard. It’s also offensive to many. Something that some smokers, no matter what they are smoking, like to ignore.
If only
there was some way to enjoy cannabis without lighting it on fire...
And get you can buy cigarettes at every corner store
Secondhand smoke is awful but it doesn't work as an excuse to ban pot shops.
Why should ANY type of
Why should ANY type of business be zoned with these separation buffers?
The city should identify the places that make sense for certain types of businesses, and encourage them to cluster there.
Wouldn’t want to be overrun
The idea that one might have to travel less than 3/8 of a mile to purchase a ration of cannabis, it’s just too decadent to imagine.
He said he and his workers
That's a weird reason to oppose a pot shop. Inadequate signage.
If the board members are unhappy
Then why don't they quit? Imagine needing $80-$100K that badly.
Says a guy...
Who said telling people to quit is a "typical loser response".
The difference
Is that I'm paying them to be miserable.
I see you still haven't grasped nuance since getting your handle nuked.
Just for those keeping score....
The same ZBA that hands out variances to developers like Halloween candy, and is still recovering from a major bribery scandal, is crying about being stuck in an undesirable situation because other city departments are ignoring the written rules?
Cry me a river.
Lame business names
Why hasn't anyone mashed up the two hottest biz dev fads in town and proposed the "High-Life Sciences Labs" yet?
The ZBA needs to grow a pair
"Caught in the middle" is a poor excuse. Read the requirements for a variance Christine, and apply the standards, beginning with evidence of a hardship. If the Mayor, the City Council, the BPDA or any other group want to amend the Zoning Code then follow the procedure in the Enabling Act. Doing it by fiat is a violation of the law, but apparently what everyone in City Hall believes to be perfectly good policy and practice.
If only it were that simple ...
Marijuana shops don't require a variance. They're considered a conditional use, which means the assumption is that they should be approved, only with, well, conditions, and that the applicant doesn't have to prove some particular hardship to get.
And part of that is the whole buffer-zone thing, which the board has the power to ignore, which they have, for the most part.
But in all, "conditional" is a bit more nebulous than "variance" and when you've got the city council - and the mayor - approving a half-mile buffer zone and then the mayor and the cannabis board completely ignoring that, yeah, I can see why it might be more of an issue for the zoning board.
But my apologies for not making that clear in my stories on this; I'll be sure to add an explanatory paragraph going forward.
Fighting a losing battel
In ten years weed shops will be as ubiquitous as liquor stores.