Cannabis dispensaries want customers to be able to walk in on a whim, lifting a formal appointment-only restriction, and much of the Somerville Planning Board’s August meeting time was filled with deliberations on the requests.
The board agreed Aug. 15 on pathways for two dispensaries, Cookies Somerville and Seed, to accept walk-in customers in the future. In addition, it issued a special permit needed to start construction at 500 Medford St., Magoun Square, to Seed. The company has has a location in Boston’s Jamaica Plain neighborhood.
Retail recreational cannabis was approved by voters statewide in only 2016 and has been approached cautiously. Unlike liquor sales from stores, cannabis retail must be appointment-only under a board stipulation, with the main concern being that lifting the restriction would increase traffic too much. An additional concern raised by vice chair Amelia Aboff is that communities surrounding dispensaries have been told stores would be appointment-only, and removing the restriction would violate those expectations.
Walter Sullivan, a representative of Cookies Somerville, pointed out that Somerville cannabis stores already function as walk-in stores, since customers are allowed to make appointments when they walk in. He also argued that cannabis stores are not crowded.
“It’s clear just from walking around and statewide. There aren’t people waiting to get in,” Sullivan said. “You can use what you see in your own life experience to make that determination.”
“Zero complaints”
The Somerville Licensing Commission separately has the ability to enforce appointment conditions, but has only a six-month appointments restriction that has been waived for all stores that have applied. Licensing chair Joe Lynch was at the meeting and expressed surprise that the Planning Board has an in-perpetuity appointment condition.
“We have received zero complaints from any of the cannabis shops that have been operating in the city,” said Lynch, explaining why the licensing commission chose to lift appointment restrictions. “No customer complaints through 311. No calls to SPD, no concerns from economic development.”
One board member, Luc Schuster, was in favor of lifting the appointment restriction without additional data.
“It just seems totally implausible to me that eliminating the appointment-only condition would lead to a large influx of new traffic,” Schuster said. “And so many of these neighborhoods are desperate for more traffic and vibrancy. I’m all for making it easier for small businesses to thrive in the city.”
Schuster also cited his own desire for the board to be more responsive.
“I like the spirit of us being a municipality that reacts quickly to changing conditions on the ground,” Schuster said, “and doesn’t unreasonably keep regulations in place longer than their useful life has been in place. I am concerned that we’re letting proceduralism concerns about practice dictate too much.”
Watching transportation issues
The eventual board decision was more tentative, partly due to a memo from Somerville’s Mobility Division, which expressed a preference to have more data before striking appointment conditions.
“We have a lot of respect for Mobility and the analysis they’re doing, but also want to support businesses in the community and not create an overly burdensome process,” Aboff said.
For Cookies Somerville and Seed, in lieu of a new full traffic study or approval from the Mobility Division, the board offered an alternative pathway involving six months with the appointment-only restriction – to be replaced by a requirement to survey employees and customers on their means of transport.
For other cannabis shops, the unofficial consensus – stated first by Schuster – was to welcome store owners to come before the board and make data-driven cases to lift appointment requirements, which would be considered “in good faith and in efficient short order.”
Seed chief executive April Arrasate said she expects the Magoun Square build-out to take at least three months. Cookies Somerville, known as Union Leaf before partnering with a national cannabis company, had its hard opening Aug. 17 in Union Square
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This is nuts and the city should be embarrassed. Another way car dependency adds costs to businesses with pointless regulations and other nonsense for absolutely zero benefit.
I expected this article to be about concerns over youth getting access to weed or something serious… come on. Traffic?
I’d rather have a grocery in magoun. The owner of the new dispensary on Medford Street, some woman who loves in Connecticut, seemed to think Somerville and JP had something to do with each other.
This is absurd. The concern about businesses creating traffic is essentially a concern about attracting customers. Should we then shut down all businesses in Somerville to eliminate traffic?
Why single out certain businesses for causing traffic? Groceries, pharmacies, and barber shops also contribute to traffic under this logic. Why not make them appointment-only?
Besides most customers in Camberville do NOT use cars. Further, there is no reason to drive to a cannabis shop. They are everywhere.
This is just silly.
The weed in Slumberville must be good. Y’all realize that “traffic” is about more than just the demonic car, yeah? And who cares what promises were made to the surrounding communities.
@Sam Noubert Traffic consists of cars and trucks. In a traffic jam, you move slowly because you are surrounded by these vehicles.
I think he’s referring to foot traffic, you know the kinds of boogeymen that go to dispensaries… unbelievable.
@cambridgeresident Ah, yes. The monsters who go to dispensaries! Can’t they be well-behaved like the alcohol/bar crowd?