Marijuana Advocates Call On Gov. Baker To Allow Recreational Shops To Be Deemed Essential

NETA brookline — Customers wait in a line outside NETA Brookline to purchase marijuana.

Arjun Singh is a producer for Boston Public Radio. A California native, Arjun moved to Boston to study international relations at Boston University. Prior to working at WGBH, Arjun worked at a tech company and for a political campaign.

April 08, 2020

Updated August 07, 2023

Despite calls from proprietors and consumers of recreational marijuana dispensaries, Governor Charlie Baker has said that he does not think recreational shops should be considered essential businesses. Baker has previously said that his concern with allowing recreational dispensaries to open amid the COVID-19 pandemic is the long lines that often greet consumers when they arrive at a dispensary. Medical marijuana dispensaries may still sell products to patients.

Dan Adams, the marijuana reporter for the Boston Globe, said that some recreational consumers may also be utilizing cannabis medicinally, but may not want to apply for a medical marijuana card.

“The problem, according to some, is that these recreational shops that [Baker] has shut down...a lot of their consumers are sort of like patients,” Adams said during an interview with Boston Public Radio on Wednesday. “Even though they’re not registered medical marijuana patients they nonetheless rely on cannabis to play some medical role in their life.”