NETA Could Sell Recreational Pot In Brookline Within Weeks

BROOKLINE, MA — As communities across the state from Leicester to Salem begin to open up to retail marijuana establishments, Brookline is set to follow suit and sooner rather than later.

The State recently gave New England Treatment Access (NETA) and Sanctuary Medicinals provisional licenses to open retail marijuana in Brookline.

NETA will be presenting its "opening day" game plan to the Select Board Tuesday evening in the hearing room on the 6th floor of Town Hall. The presentation is a requirement Brookline put on applications for adult use recreational marijuana retailers.

Any applicant must present their plan for how to handle opening day at least two weeks before to opening their doors for adult use recreational sales.

The presentation is the last requirement for NETA to securing a license — provided it stay under current ownership, according to Wishinksy. Because the company recently announced it planned to sell, that could mean additional steps with the town and with the state.

Select Board Chairperson Neil Wishinsky said there's no opening date announced just yet, but this puts them a step closer. The earliest possible date NETA could open for recreational use marijuana would be Feb. 27, depending on the State's Cannabis Control Commission.

"I expect that NETA, located at 160 Washington St, will be the first or among the first establishments selling recreational marijuana in the core Boston metropolitan area and their opening plan will reflect the expected heightened interest in this event," Wishinksy said in a statement posted to social media.

NETA has been working with the police department and other town departments to minimize the impact and disruption, he said.

"We are also benefiting from the experience and lessons learned from the openings in other parts of the state including Northampton, Salem and, yes, Leicester," he wrote.

The presentation is slated to start around 7:15 p.m., Tuesday. It will also be covered by BIG. Following the presentation there will be time for public comment. Brookline police department officials will be on hand to answer questions as, obviously, will NETA representatives.

In addition to NETA and Sanctuary, Mission MA has submitted an application to the Cannabis Control Commission to open shop in town.

In 2016 the state, and Brookline voted overwhelmingly to allow recreational marijuana. In 2015 NETA set up shop as a medicinal marijuana shop, despite some resistance in the neighborhood.

Related:

• MA Marijuana Retailer NETA To Sell To National Company (January 2019)
• NETA's Next Move (2018)
• Massachusetts Gets First Whiff Of Recreational Marijuana (2018)
• Brookline Medical Marijuana Dispensary Accepting Patients (2015)

Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff