>>> TONIGHT WE CONTINUE OUR COVERAGE OF THE RETAIL MARIJUANA
CONTROVERSY IN EASTHAMPTON, WHERE THE CITY COUNCIL MUST
DECIDE ON THE MARIJUANA ZONING ORDINANCE DRAFTED BY THE
PLANNING BOARD.
SOME SAY THE BUFFER ZONE IS ADEQUATE, OTHERS SAY NO WAY.
CAROLEE MCGRATH SPOKE WITH CYNTHIA KWAZINSKI, THE CHAIR OF
EASTHAMPTON'S SCHOOL COMMITTEE, TO HEAR HER CONCERNS ON THE
ISSUE.
>> ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO THE ORDINANCE COMMITTEE AND THE
PLANNING BOARD BEGAN TO WORK ON FORMING THE GUIDELINES FOR HOW
WE WOULD IMPLEMENT RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN EASTHAMPTON, AND
THEY WORKED REALLY HARD AND THEY HAVE COME UP WITH SOME GREAT
IDEAS.
HOWEVER, IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS THEY HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER A
PACKAGE, GETTING PRETTY CLOSE TO THEIR FINAL PACKAGE.
THE SCHOOL DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN IN THE PROCESS THE WHOLE TIME.
HOWEVER, NOW PARENTS AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE COMING FORWARD TO
SPEAK THEIR MIND, AND WHAT'S -- WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK AND
THIS WEEK.
WHAT HAS COME FORWARD IS THAT PARENTS, EDUCATORS,
ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS, ARE REALLY
RECOMMENDING A 500-FOOTBOARDER, BUFFER, AROUND OUR SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS DOWNTOWN AND WE WOULD LIKE TO
PROTECT THEM, AND THE EDUCATORS AND PARENTS ARE ALSO COMING
FORWARD AND ASKING FOR A SLOW START.
THE NUMBER THAT THEY ARE ALL LOOKING AT IS FOUR LICENSES, AND
THAT'S BECOME KIND OF A BONE OF CONTENTION DURING THESE
MEETINGS.
>> BUT WHAT IS THE PLANNING BOARD RECOMMENDING, 200 FEET?
>> THE PLANNING BOARD INITIALLY LAST WEEK HAD RECOMMENDED A
200-FOOT BUFFER, AND THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT 12 LICENSES, WITH
UNLIMITED MIXED USE.
SO WHAT'S KIND OF ON THE TABLE IS RETAIL STORES, HOW MANY
RETAIL STORES ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE, HOW MANY CANNIBIS CAFÉS OR
CANNIBIS RESTAURANTS ARE YOU GOING TO HAVE, AND THEN THE
THIRD POSSIBILITY IS WHAT THEY CALL MIXED USE.
SO A YOGA STUDIO THAT'S ALREADY IN BUSINESS MIGHT WANT TO APPLY
TO HAVE EDIBLES.
>> OKAY.
>> SO AS WE GET TO THE NITTY-GRITTY OF THOSE NUMBERS,
MANY IN THE CITY ARE ASKING FOR A SLOWER START.
>> SO LET'S GO BACK TO THE BUFFER ZONES, FIRST.
YOU WANT A 500 FOOT BUFFER ZONE.
>> CORRECT.
>> WILLISTON IS RIGHT DOWNTOWN.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
500, 200 FEET, IS IT A BIG DIFFERENCE?
>> YES, IT IS A BIG DIFFERENCE.
THE STATE IS ASKING FOR A 500 FOOT BUFFER.
ACTUALLY SOME TOWNS ARE -- I HAVE EVEN HEARD A 2000-FOOT
BUFFER AROUND SCHOOLS.
I WILL EXPLAIN WHY, BUT LET ME JUST START WITH DENVER HAS A
1,000-FOOT BUFFER AROUND THEIR SCHOOLS.
THE STATE OF WASHINGTON HAS 1,000.
MASSACHUSETTS IS RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT A 500-FOOT BUFFER
AROUND SCHOOLS.
SO PART OF THE ARGUMENT IS THAT KIDS ARE PASSING ADVERTISEMENTS
FOR CIGARETTES AND ALCOHOL AS THEY GO TO SCHOOL.
THERE IS NOT A BUFFER THERE.
SO WHY CAN'T THEY PASS A CANNIBIS FACILITY?
>> RIGHT.
AND THAT'S THEIR ARGUMENT.
>> THAT'S THE ARGUMENT, BUT I CAN'T CHANGE THE ADVERTISEMENT
ON CIGARETTES.
THAT WAS GRAND FATHERED IN.
I CAN'T CHANGE THE ESTABLISHMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY
GRANDFATHERED IN BEFORE ANY OF THESE WERE DEVELOPED.
IF I COULD, AND I SAID THAT AT TUESDAY'S MEETING, IF THE CITY
-- IF THE PLANNING BOARD AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE FOR ORDINANCE COULD
COME UP WITH A WAY TO GET RID OF THAT ADVERTISEMENT, I WOULD BE
LEADING THE CHARGE BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF MESSAGING WE DO TO
STUDENTS GIVES THEM THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS NOT ONLY
ACCEPTABLE, BUT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, AND YOU WANT TO DO
AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.
AND IT HAS TO DO A LOT WITH HOW MANY TIMES THOSE MESSAGES ARE
REPEATED.
>> RIGHT.
>> IN THE YOUNG MIND.
>> I HAVE TO ADD, YOU ARE ALSO A TEACHER.
>> YES, I AM.
>> SO I REALLY FEEL THAT THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT GOOD, GOOD
MESSAGING, FOR KIDS.
>> WE KNOW IT'S NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN UNDER 21.
A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IS REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE
25--YEAR-OLD BRAIN, THAT THE BRAIN IS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED
UNTIL 25.
BUT WE KNOW THERE IS NO QUESTION, EVEN THE ORDINANCE
COMMITTEE AND THE PLANNING BOARD, IS NOT IN DISAGREEMENT,
THAT ON THE ADOLESCENT AND PRE ADOLESCENT MIND THIS IS
EXTREMELY DETRIMENTAL TO COGNITION.
>> BECAUSE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ADULTS.
>> THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ADULTS AND CHILDREN.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE VOTING, 2/3RDS OF YOUR TOWN SAID YES.
DO YOU JUST HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT?
>> NO.
I EXPLAINED THAT WHAT HAPPENED IS 2/3RDS OF THE TOWN WANTS IT.
TO ME IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE A TOWN.
1/3RD OF THE PEOPLE DID NOT WANT THIS.
PART OF THE 2/3RDS THAT DID VOTE FOR THIS, THEY DID NOT HAVE IN
THEIR MIND GETTING CLOSE TO OUR SCHOOLS OR -- I HAVE GONE
AROUND THE CITY AND HAD MANY PARENTS E-MAIL ME, STOP ME ON
THE STREET.
WE HAVE LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS.
WHAT I AM HEARING OVER AND OVER AGAIN FROM PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR
THIS IS, I DID VOTE FOR IT, I DID FEEL THAT IT WAS TOTALLY
FINE, HOWEVER, I TRUSTED MY CITY OFFICIALS TO DO A SLOW AND
STEADY START, TO REALIZE THAT THIS IS REVOLUTIONARY, AND I
EXPECTED THEM TO START WITH A FEW LICENSES, SEE THE IMPACT ON
THE CITY, AND THEN GO FROM THERE.
ALSO, THESE PARENTS WHO VOTED FOR IT EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD
STAY AWAY FROM THE SCHOOLS.
THEY NEVER THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD BEGIN WITH PUTTING
ESTABLISHMENTS ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT 500-FOOT BUFFER.
>>> IN CASE YOU MISSED IT, YOU CAN SEE THE OPPOSING SIDE OF THE
DISCUSSION IN PART ONE OF OUR LOOK AT THE RETAIL MARIJUANA
CONTROVERSY IN EASHAMPTON ONLINE AT WGBY.ORG/CONNECTINGPOINT.