BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts Cannabis Business Association is pleading with Gov. Charlie Baker to reverse his decision to keep recreational pot shops closed until May 4 because of the COVID-19 crisis.
Medical marijuana facilities, however, were deemed essential and are still open.
Garden Remedies has three pot shops in the state that sell both recreational and medical marijuana. Founder Dr. Karen Munkacy says many people who need pot for health reasons, but don’t have a medical ID card, are being hurt by the governor’s decision.
“To see people driven back into the black market, having to buy their medication in Ziploc bags in parking lots from strangers with no inspection control measures whatsoever, we really need adult-use marijuana sales returned,” Dr. Munkacy said.
She says sales could be restricted to only Massachusetts residents to calm the governor’s fears about people traveling out of state into the Commonwealth to buy their pot.
On their website, Garden Remedies has linked to a web page that lets people write to Massachusetts lawmakers about this issue. The page says the governor's move is "dangerous because recreational users won't stop using cannabis. They will either break social isolation to purchase cannabis from medical users or, worse, get it from the unregulated."
WBZ NewsRadio's Kim Tunnicliffe (@KimWBZ) reports
Follow WBZ NewsRadio: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | iHeartmedia App
(Photo: Getty Images)