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Mass. Pot Shops Can Soon Reopen For Curbside Pickup Under New Guidelines

A man stops to look at shuttered Pure Oasis, a recreational cannabis shop which just opened in early March in Dorchester. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
A man stops to look at shuttered Pure Oasis, a recreational cannabis shop which just opened in early March in Dorchester. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)

As part of Gov. Charlie Baker's phased reopening plan, recreational cannabis stores in Massachusetts will be allowed to reopen for curbside pickup on May 25.

Under phase 2 of Baker's reopening plan, pot shops can reopen to in-person sales for recreational customers like any other retail outlet, provided they follow social distancing and other regulations intended to stop or slow the spread of the virus.

It's not clear when phase 2 will happen, but it will be at least three weeks, according to the state's plan.

Kobie Evans is the co-owner of Pure Oasis, Boston's first recreational pot shop, which opened in Dorchester in early March — just as the coronavirus pandemic was ramping up in the state. He told WBUR that while he thinks curbside pickup could have been reinstated earlier for shops like his, he's happy to be back in business.

"I'm sure that curb side could have happened sooner, but I also feel as though there are so many moving parts to trying to manage a pandemic," he said. "And I'm not going to second guess decisions that were made in the best interest of keeping people safe."

Baker said during his reopening announcement Monday that there was no way to regulate limiting recreational cannabis sales to Massachusetts residents only, as it would require a change in state law. Previously, Baker had cited potential out-of-state purchases as the reason recreational stores had to close.

This article was originally published on May 18, 2020.

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