TWO IN ABOUT ONE MONTH'S TIME.
THAT'S THE NUMBER OF RETAIL MARIJUANA STORES THE REGION IS
SET TO HAVE, PENDING THE OPENING OF INSA IN EASTHAMPTON.
THE OPENING OF NEW ENGLAND TREATMENT ACCESS IN NORTHAMPTON
LAST MONTH BROUGHT WITH IT LONG LINES AND INCREASED TRAFFIC;
SOMETHING EASTHAMPTON MAYOR NICOLE LACHAPELLE AND INSA
EASTHAMPTON CEO MARK ZATEARKA SAY THEY HAVE PLANNED FOR.
WE WILL GET IN TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE MATTERS IN A MOMENT.
BUT FIRST, I ASKED ZATEARKA THE QUESTION MANY PEOPLE WANT AN
ANSWER TO -- WHEN WILL THEY OPEN?
>> WE DON'T HAVE AN EXACT DATE YET.
SOMETIME BETWEEN THE 13TH AND THE 24TH, SOMEWHERE IN THERE.
>> GREAT, SO AS YOU ARE GEARING UP TO ADD RECREATIONAL TO THE
ALREADY MEDICINAL FACILITY YOU HAVE THERE, YOU HAVE THE
DISTINCTION OF WATCHING TWO OTHERS OPEN UP IN THE REGION.
ARE YOU ADJUSTING FOR THINGS THERE FOR INSA?
>> YEAH, FIRST I HAVE TO SAY I THINK THEY DID EVERYTHING RIGHT,
EVERYTHING WAS CIVIL AND WENT SMOOTHLY AND PAYING ATTENTION TO
THE FACT WE NEEDED TO PAY ATTENTION TO TRAFFIC AND PARKING
AND THAT IS A AN OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE OVER THE OTHER LOCATIONS.
>> MEANING YOU HAVE THE SPACE?
>> YES, AND MULTIPLE OVERFLOW LOTS AS WELL.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET PEOPLE OFF PLEASANT STREET AS QUICKLY AS
POSSIBLE TO BE LESS DISRUPTIVE TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
TO SHOW THEY HAVE A PLACE TO PARK AND THEY ARE NOT AFFECTING
OR OTHER BUSINESSES AS WELL IN THE MIDDLE DISTRICT AND THAT
EVERYTHING IS AS ORDERLY AND MANAGEABLE AS POSSIBLE.
>> MAYOR, AS YOU HAVE OBSERVED, THE PROCESS COULD BE A LITTLE
EASIER THAN IN NORTHAMPTON.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO THE MAYOR THERE?
>> WE TALKED BACK AND FORTH ABOUT WHERE EACH FIRM WAS,
OPENING FOR RETAIL.
A LOT OF CONVERSATION HAS HAPPENED IN THE PUBLIC SAFETY
DEPARTMENTS IN ALL PHASES OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO OPEN, I DO
THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS DONE RIGHT.
ONE OF THE LESSONS THAT MYSELF AND PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS
HAVE REALLY LEARNED IS ABOUT FLEXIBILITY.
THIS IS A NEW INDUSTRY, A VERY NEW THING FOR OUR AREA.
WE HAVE UNIQUE TRAFFIC PATTERNS AND TO BE FLEXIBLE ONCE YOU SEE
THE EBB AND THE FLOW AND HOW MANY CONSUMERS ARE COMING IN AND
OUT, IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO REACT TO THAT AND CERTAINLY A
GOOD LESSON TO BE TAKEN FROM BOTH OF THE OTHER COMMUNITIES
AND MARK AND HIS TEAM HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD PARTNERS.
I MEAN, THE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS
AND MY OFFICE HAVE BEEN ONGOING, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST YEAR FOR
SURE.
SO WE ANTICIPATE A COUPLE MORE CONVERSATIONS BEFORE OPENING AND
TO ADJUST THE PLAN BUT ALSO PLANNED FOR OVERFLOW OR
ALTERNATIVES SO THE TRAFFIC CAN FLOW AS EASILY AS POSSIBLE.
>> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE SAW WHEN HE WERE OUT AT
NORTHAMPTON FOR OPENING, OBVIOUSLY THE LONG LINES STAND
OUT.
WE TALKED TO FOLKS BETWEEN THREE TO ONE HOUR TO GET THEIR
PRODUCTS FROM THE INSIDE OF THE STORE.
SEEING THOSE LONG LICENSED SOME PEOPLE IN SOUTH HADLEY CONCERNED
AND THEY HAVE NOT APPROVED THE USE OF MARIJUANA IN THAT
COMMUNITY, SAYING THE LONG LINES CREATE SOME HYPE FOR YOUNG KIDS
AND CONCERNED THIS IS SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGE TO KIDS THAT
THIS IS IT THE WRONG THING TO BE STANDING IN LINE FOR.
>> WELL, WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN DO NOT MARKET TOWARDS KIDS IN
ANY WAY.
HAVING A LONG LINE IS A LITTLE OUT OF OUR CONTROL.
I THINK THAT IS JUST THE WAY THE STATE HAS APPROVED DIFFERENT
OPERATORS AND AT THE PACE THEY ARE APPROVING THEM AT.
>> YOU THINK THE LINES WILL DIE DOWN ONCE MORE FACILITIES ARE
OPEN ACROSS THE STATE?
>> OH, YEAH, DEFINITELY.
AND BEING THE FIRST TWO OPEN REALLY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI,
THAT IS A BIG DEAL AND A LOST FOCUSES ON JUST TWO SITES AND WE
HOPE TO BE THE THIRD OR FOURTH OPEN O EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI
SO I AM SURE WE WILL HAVE OUR SHARE OF LINES BUT AS THEY
APPROVE MORE AND MORE DISPENSARIES, THOSE LINES WILL
GO DOWN.
>> THE PROCESS AROUND THE ORDINANCE AND CONSIDERATION OF
LOCATION AND LINES AND WHAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IN PROXIMITY TO
SCHOOLS WAS A LONG, VETTED PUBLIC CONVERSATION, NOT JUST
AROUND THE INSA APPLICATION BUT THE CREATION OF OUR ORDINANCE.
AND THERE WAS A IMPORTANT LESSON TO BE LEARNED THERE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE EFFECT OF ALCOHOL, VAPING, THE LOTTERY AND
THOSE VERY ATTRACTIVE ACTIVITIES, WHAT DOES THE
MESSAGE SEND TO YOUTH?
SO NOT THAT THE LINES AREN'T AN ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE AND THOSE
UNDER THE AGE OF 21 WILL BE A HEIGHTENED INTEREST BUT THEY ARE
ALSO WALKING BY A LOT OF ALCOHOL, LOTTERY AND VAPING
SIGNS THAT ARE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR AGE.
THIS IS ABOUT FORWARD THINKING EDUCATION AND CHOICES AND
LETTING CHILDREN KNOW IN A VERY INFORMAL, FACT-FILLED PROCESS OF
WHAT THESE CHOICES ARE ABOUT AND HOW THEY ARE PRESENTED IN LINE,
THAT THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE AND REASON FOR THAT.
>> ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS, MONEY HAS BEEN A FACTOR AND THE
PRICE YOU ARE GOING TO PAY,'3 PERCENT OF THE GROSS
SALES, IS THAT RIGHT?
>> YES.
>> WHY DID YOU AGREE TO THE ADDITIONAL 3 PERCENT?
>> WELL, WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO BE A BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY
AND UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE COMFORTABLE WITH US
BEING THERE OR THE RELATIONSHIP WON'T WORK.
AND SO WE FELT LIKE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE COULD DO TO
HELP SUPPORT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND SCHOOLS AND EVERYTHING ELSE
THAT CAN MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND TO LIVE
THERE.
>> SO FOR INSA, THE SALES FIGURES THEY BROUGHT IN IN THE
FIRST TWO WEEKS, YOU ARE LOOKING AT $78,000 IF YOU WERE TO SWAP
FACILITIES IN TWO WEEKS.
ANY WORD ON HOW THE COMMUNITY WILL USE THIS ADDITIONAL MONEY?
>> SO IN THE LAST YEAR AND OUT IN A MORE HOLISTIC WAY, WE
STARTED A NEW BUDGET PRACTICE BASED ON THE NATIONAL MODEL THAT
ACTUALLY FORECASTS OUT THIS TYPE OF ARE REVENUE AND WHERE WE NEED
TO BE WHEN THE ECONOMY IS NOT SO ROBUST, WHEN WE DON'T HAVE AN
EXCITING NEW BUSINESS COMING INTO TOWN AND WHERE THOSE MONIES
WILL BE TO OFFSET THE DEBT COMING ON WITH, YOU KNOW, THE
SCHOOL BOND AND TO LOOK AT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I THINK THE OTHER THING TO NOTE IS THE THOROUGH NESS AND VETTING
OF LOCAL ORDERS BUT ALSO THE STATE PROCESS HAS BEEN A LONG
TIME COMING AND THE IMPACT ON OUR LOCAL DEPARTMENTS HAS BEEN
NOTICEABLE AND THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF PROJECTS AS WELL AS
RESOURCES THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO PURSUE SOONER THAT YOU
NEED TO GO BACK AND FILL SOME OF THOSE GAPS BECAUSE THE STATE
REQUIREMENTS WERE SO STRINGENT IN SOMETHING SO NEW SO 3 PERCENT
IS EXCITING AND THEY DO HAVE SO MANY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS AND
THAT IS VERY EXCITING AND SO I WISH THEM ALL THE SUCCESS.
DOLLARS EARNED ARE BEST WELL-SPENT IN INSTITUTIONS SO WE
HAVE HAD THIS DISCUSSION IN WHAT WE'RE DOING BUT PUBLIC SAFETY IS
AN IMPORTANT ASPECT AND OUR DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB
WITH THAT.