THIS WEEKEND EASTHAMPTON BECAME THE SECOND COMMUNITY IN
MASSACHUSETTS WITH ACUT USE MARIJUANA SALES.
AND KARIMA RISK HOPES ONE DAY THE CITY WILL HAVE AT LEAST ONE
BUSINESS WHERE PEOPLE CAN GATHER SAY AT A COFFEE SHOP TO CONSUME
MARIJUANA PRODUCTS.
JEFF BAGG, EASTHAMPTON CITY PLANNER, JOINED ME IN THE STUDIO
TO DISCUSS THE YFD SOCIAL CON -- >> WE REACHED OUT TO EASTHAMPTON
TO TRY TO START IT UP. AND DURING THAT PROCESS THE
CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION PUT THE REGULATIONS ON HOLD.
SO LIKE WISE I HAVE PUT THE CAFE ON HOLD, BUT I AM PURSUING
FULL-TIME THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR SOCIAL CONSUCHTION TO EXIST
IN EASTHAMPTON.
>> AND IT WAS IN THE ORDINANCE WHEN THAT WAS OUTLINED, BUT WHAT
WOULD BE THE NEXT STEP IN THAT PROCESS?
>> I THINK WHEN THE STATE PULLED BACK ON THEIR VERSION OF THE
REGULATIONS, A LOT OF IT GOT PUT ON HOLD.
WHAT WE HAVE IS A PLACE HOLDER UNDER THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
SO WHERE WE SEE THIS FROM A MUNICIPALITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WE
SEE THIS AS RESTARTING THE DISCUSSION.
LOOKING BACK AT THE RETAIL COMPONENTS AND CULTIVATION, THAT
WORKED WELL UNDER ZONING, BUT FOR SOMETHING LIKE SOCIAL
CONSUMPTION WILL BE LOOKING AT LICENSING AND OTHER REGULATIONS
OTHER THAN ZONING, SO ZONING MIGHT BE THE END OF THE PROCESS,
WHERE MAYBE WE WANT TO START LOOKING AT BOARD OF HEALTH
REGULATIONS AND STARTING TO DEFINE WHAT SOCIAL CONSUMPTION
MIGHT LOOK LIKE, AND HAVE A GOOD DIALOGUE WITH ENTREPRENEURS, THE
STATE REGULATORS AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO REALLY WORK
TOGETHER TO CRAFT A FRAMEWORK.
>> DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ON A FRAMEWORK?
BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE LIKEN THIS TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A
LIQUOR STORE AND A BAR, RIGHT?
IS THAT HOW YOU SEE IT?
>> I THINK IT'S A COMPLEX ISSUE.
I THINK THERE ARE MANY GOOD EXISTING MODELS FOR US TO
CONSIDER BOTH OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTRY, FOR EXAMPLE IN
AMSTERDAM AS WELL AS IN SPAIN.
BUT ALSO IN THE UNITED STATES AS SOCIAL CONSUMPTION VENUES
INCLUDING SMOKING WITHIN CLOSE QUARTERS HAS OCCURRED WITH
CALIFORNIA AND MEDICAL DISPENSARIES FOR A COUPLE OF
DECADES.
>> AND WORCESTER HAS A SOCIAL CLUB, SO IT'S A PRIVATE CLUB
WHERE YOU CAN GO AND CONSUME IN A PUBLIC PLACE, BUT THERE'S A
MEMBERSHIP MODEL AND THERE'S A FEE FOR THAT USE.
DID YOU THINK ABOUT DOING THAT AS LIKE A BABY STEP INTO THIS?
>> I TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
IN MY VIEW I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE LEGAL
FRAMEWORK TO BE THERE TO, YOU KNOW, ON THE BOARD AUTHORIZED
SOCIAL CONSUMPTION.
WHY?
BECAUSE ONE, IT'S SUSTAINABLE, IN THE LONG RUN NOBODY IS GOING
TO SHUT YOU DOWN.
AND ALSO I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE OF COMMUNAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL
JUSTICE, BECAUSE THE SOCIAL CONSUMPTION OF CANNABIS HAS BEEN
DISPROPORTIONATELY ENFORCED AGAINST MINORITIES AND PEOPLE OF
LOWER INCOME LEVELS.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WHEN YOU PLACE THE HANDS OF JUDGMENT AND RACE INTO AN
ENFORCEMENT OF CANNABIS CONSUMPTION, IT IS QUESTIONABLE,
AND THEREFORE I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE LAW
ON THE BOOKS.
>> FROM THE CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS?
>> IT MAY SEEM VERY QUICK TO START TALKING ABOUT THIS, BUT IF
YOU CAST OUT THE TIMELINE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A FAIRLY LONG PERIOD
OF TIME TO GET SOCIAL CONSUMPTION SITUATED, SO NOW IS
A GOOD TIME TO START THAT.
AND I THINK THE MUNICIPALITIES HAVE TO SORT OF BALANCE IT.
>> BECAUSE THERE WAS THE EASTHAMPTON HEALTHY YOUTH
COALITION, AND THEY WERE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT NEGATIVE
IMPLICATIONS OF SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO AS A MUNICIPALITY YOU'RE KIND IF THE MIDDLE, YOU HAVE THE
ADVOCATES PERSPECTIVE, BUT THEN PEOPLE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
PUBLIC HEALTH, THE SAFETY OF KIDS, ET CETERA.
>> YES, AND THAT WOULD BE WHERE THE DISCUSSION MIGHT GO NEXT.
I THINK FROM A TOWN OR CITY'S PERSPECTIVE, ZONING IS SORT OF A
KLUNKY TOOL, IT'S NOT REALLY DESIGNED FOR THIS, SOCIAL
CONSUMPTION WILL BE A PRETTY INTRICATE MODEL THAT WE HAVE TO
CREATE AND WHAT MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS IS THAT IF ZONING IS
KLUNKY AND LIKE A MALET, THEN WHERE WE WANT TO BE WITH SOCIAL
CONSUMPTION IS LICENSING.
>> SIMILAR TO A BAR, DO YOU FORESEE THAT THE TOWN WOULD HAVE
A CAP OF X NUMBER OF VENUES WROTE SOCIAL CONSUMPTION COULD
TAKE PLACE?
>> YES, AND THIS IS A LOT TO UNRAVEL.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT A, THERE'S A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT
ELEMENTS TO TAKE SHAPE FOR THIS TO EVEN BE PALPABLE FOR PEOPLE,
WHICH IS A TRAINING, LIKE A TIPS TRAINING.
SO IF YOU'RE A BARTENDER YOU GET TIPS TRAINED TO MONITOR FOR
PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSUMING ALCOHOL AND WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN PLACE.
>> THERE'S NO LEVEL FOR GAUGING LEVEL OF INTOXICATION.
>> YES.
SO ONCE THAT STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE, THAT WILL HELP THE
DISCUSSION MOVE FORWARD.
POLICE OFFICERS BEING TRAINED AFTER SOMEONE WERE TO LEAVE A
PLACE, THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT.
AND THEN REALLY JUST, I THINK, IT MAY BE A SERIES OF BABY STEPS
TO TAKE AND ONE THING THAT, WHAT'S FLOATED RECENTLY WOULD BE
POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT A SPECIAL EVENTS MODEL AS A WAY TO BEGIN
TO INTRODUCE IT.
SO THE STATE CANNABIS COMMISSION IS LOOKING AT A WORK, GROUP OF
MUNICIPALITIES TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE AT THE TABLE.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I STARTED TO TALK ABOUT WAS IT MATE BE AN
OPTION FOR SOME TOWNS TO TRY SPECIAL EVENTS THAT ARE LICENSED
AND REVIEWED, BECAUSE THEY'RE KIND OF ONE TIME, AND THEY MIGHT
BE OUTSIDE, WHICH WOULD HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE QUESTIONS
YOU HAVE ONCE YOU GET INSIDE A BUILDING.
SO I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS, AND START
TO TEASE OUT SORT OF THE WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN THE
SCENARIOS, THE OPTIONS.
>> YOU AS A WOULD-BE BUSINESS OWNER, IS THAT A PALATABLE
OPTION FOR YOU?
>> I REALLY WANT TO WORK WITH THE GOVERNMENT, IN THIS CASE THE
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT CLOSELY, BECAUSE I THINK WE SHARE A LOT
OF THE SAME CONCERNS.
I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE MY BUSINESS TO BE A GOOD CORPORATE
CITIZEN, AND ALSO AS A PARENT AND A COMMUNITY MEMBER, I LIVE
IN EASTHAMPTON TOO, I CARE ABOUT THAT COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK ANY OPERATOR, WHETHER IT'S MYSELF OR ANOTHER
CANNABIS ESTABLISHMENT, OWES IT TO THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE
PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY ARE PROTECTED.
SO I THINK THAT'S IN EVERYONE'S BEST INTEREST, THOSE ARE COMMON
GOALS, AND WE GET MORE PEOPLE ON BOARD AND BETTER COMMUNICATE
BOTH THE MESSAGE, THE REGULATIONS AND ADDITIONALLY
ALSO THE EDUCATION, THE CONSUMER EDUCATION THAT NEEDS TO GO
AROUND HAND IN HAND FOR THIS KIND OF VENTURE WHEN WE WORK
TOGETHER.
>> BEST GUESS, IF YOU HAD TO, WHEN DO YOU THINK THIS COULD BE
A VIABLE BUSINESS OPTION FOR YOU IN EASTHAMPTON?
>> LOOKING AT THE STATE GUIDELINES, AND THEY'VE STARTED
THE CONVERSATION OF PILOT GROUPS, AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS
TO GO FORWARD, AT LEAST AT THIS POINT, WE NEED TO GET A SOCIAL
CONSUMPTION BALLOT PASSED.
AND THEY ONLY CURRENTLY ALLOW FOR THOSE ON BY --
BIENNIAL ELECTION YEARS.