LYNN — No lines. No waiting.
The anticipated crowds for Apothca, the city’s first recreational pot shop, never materialized Saturday. Minutes before the store’s opening at 10 a.m. on the Lynnway, just three customers were in line.
To keep traffic moving on its debut weekend, the Massachusetts State Police had ordered the store’s parking lot closed. Customers were instructed to park at the former Porthole Restaurant further down on the Lynnway, where shuttle buses took them to the store. But as the buses arrived, just two or three customers emerged.
“I thought it was going to be crazy,” said the Lynn police officer assigned to manage traffic, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with reporters. “But it’s been very quiet.”
Apothca CEO Joseph Lekach put on his best face about the turnout.
“The key right now is to let people know we’re here,” he said. “In the first hour, we expected 50 people and we’re almost there.”
Among the first customers to arrive was a 31-year-old Lynn man who declined to give his name.
“My roommate had bought in marijuana shops in Brookline, Needham, and Northampton,” he said. “But this one is a lot more convenient, I can walk here myself, it’s just 20 minutes from my place.”
Michella Gilliam, 24, said she had been buying pot at Alternative Therapies Group in Salem. The dispensary on Grove Street was the state’s first medical marijuana shop in eastern Massachusetts when it opened in 2015. In December, it began selling recreational pot.
“I came here to check it out,” Gilliam said. “I live in Lynn, but this is so much closer. I use it to get high, but it’s also good for cramps and migraine headaches.”
A 44-year-old Lynn resident who chose to remain anonymous said he was thrilled there’s a marijuna dispensary in the city.
“I was at the Salem shop last Thursday and the lines were around the block, and the same is true for Saturdays,” he said. “From what I can see, Lynn has more items on its menu.”
Following the shop’s closing on Saturday night, Lekach said 300 customers shopped on the first day of recreational pot sales. He declined to say how much revenue was raised or the average sale.
“We were able to move customers in and out quickly with an average transaction time of under four minutes,” he said. “During the last two hours we were open, customers were allowed to use our parking lot.”
On hand for the ribbon cutting were Mayor Thomas M. McGee, Ward 2 City Councilor Rick Starbard, state Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn), and City Councilor-at-Large Hong Net.
McGee praised the operation, noting Apothca did an excellent job renovating the Cooper-Lewis building and the 2,000-square-foot space it is leasing.
“It’s a good day for the city and I’m hoping they’re successful,” he said.
If they are, the city will benefit, he said, due to an agreement with the company and the 3 percent tax added by the city.
“They anticipate $10 million in revenue in their first year and that’s $600,000 for the city,” McGee said. “That’s good news.”
Marijuana is legal in Massachusetts for adults 21 and older, but that doesn’t mean it can be used anywhere. Here are the basics:
- Marijuana, in any form, is prohibited in public.
- State law allows up to one ounce on you and up to 10 ounces in your home.
- Growing up to six plants is allowed in your house, and up to a dozen plants for two or more adults.
- More than one ounce of marijuana in your home must be locked. It’s best to keep any amount locked away to keep children and pets safe.
- Like alcohol, an open container of any form of marijuana in your car, is illegal. It must be stored in a closed container in your trunk or locked in the glove compartment.
- It’s illegal to drive under the influence of marijuana. If you use, don’t get behind the wheel, take public transportation, ride-shares, or ride with a sober friend.
- Employers, landlords, cities, and towns may have their own policies about the use of marijuana. Check with them.
Source: Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission.
