GLOUCESTER — Inside the Washington Street storefront that most recently housed headquarters for the Cape Ann Republican Committee, Boston Smoke Shop manager Kaws Najib spent much of Wednesday unpacking and placing a number of glass hookahs, water pipes and other smoking paraphernalia on shelves for the store he hopes to open next week.
He says the accessories in his 182 Washington St. shop — the ninth in a chain that, until now, had been rooted in Boston and Cambridge with a lone venture into Malden — are all geared toward tobacco products, even though the company's foray here comes a week after a new state law made it legal to smoke marijuana recreationally.
"We don't do marijuana," said Rajib, setting up displays for pipes, vapor apparatus and other equipment. He concedes most could also be used to smoke the now-legal drug. "We're not looking to sell marijuana — that's a dispensary business. We're a retail business; we sell accessories."
Shops across Gloucester and Massachusetts couldn't legally yet sell marijuana for recreational use it they wanted to. But city officials say it's time Gloucester prepared for when they can.
"Do we need to do some rezoning, to decide where we should have these shops placed?" said Ward 3 Councilor Steve LeBlanc, whose territory includes the Boston Smoke Shop site. "I know it's legal, and they're legal, but we do have to think about a lot of issues here."
The smoking accessory business has quickly sprouted three such licenses and shops in Gloucester since the end of October. And the operators of the other two shops say they've geared their openings toward the legalization and the chance to sell marijuana over the counter perhaps as early as next year.
"That's the dream in my book," says Tyler Palm, who opened Cape Ann Vapors seven weeks ago at 242 Main St., in a unit adjacent to Stone's Pub & Eatery. His shop features a wide range of water pipes and vapor paraphernalia geared toward the increasingly popular e-cigarettes. He also notes many of the pipes and vaporizers in the store now don't work for smoking pot. "They would get all gummed up," he says.
But once the state legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana products, Palm says he'd like to be all in.
"A lot would depend on how the law is written," he says. "If it were written, for example, to require that I grew 70 percent of what I could sell, that wouldn't work for me. But if I could buy from a wholesaler, that's what I would want to do. That's a goal."
At Sunny's Variety on Railroad Avenue, owner Sunny Patel noted that his shop — open for 41/2 years — has sold hookahs for some time. Beginning Dec. 15 — the day the state's legalization took effect — he started stocking an added supply of water pipes and other accessories that can be used for smoking tobacco and marijuana products alike.
"That's why we did it on the 15th — because (marijuana) went legal," he said. "We can't sell yet, obviously, but would we want to sell it legally when and if we get the chance? Of course."
A question of regulation
LeBlanc is not the only city official who sees the legalization and the sudden burst of local smoke shop commerce as raising red flags.
Interim police Chief John McCarthy said he and other officers made the rounds to the three shops Wednesday.
"It's just a matter of making sure they're in compliance, and they are," McCarthy said. Among other mandates, the licenses for the shops limit any tobacco, e-cigarette or smoking accessory sales to those age 21 or older.
McCarthy also said he believes the city has some "work to do," adding that he, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Chief Administrative Officer James Destino and others are looking at potential zoning provisions to regulate such shops and eventual pot sales.
"The thing is, the law was passed, it's in effect — and the whole state is playing catch-up right now," McCarthy said. He said he doesn't see any problems with regulation, suggesting there is even a model of sorts in place.
"We have controls over alcohol sales," he noted. "That's regulated and a lot of the same laws apply — the age limit and open container regulations. So in a way it's similar. But this is new — and it's new to everybody. Some planning just needs to be done on how we regulate from the city's side."
Max Schenk, the city's assistant health director, noted that a lot of tobacco and smoking regulation comes from the state — "and there hasn't been much information coming down as to what the expectations are going to be for oversight from local boards of health."
The city's health board issues licenses for retail shops to sell tobacco products, he said — adding that a Boston Smoke Shop license had not been issued as of Wednesday — but he, too, said a venture toward marijuana sales is "new ground."
Schenk added that there are no guidelines to date regarding any limits on the number of smoke shop licenses.
"It might be tied to the number of liquor licenses, but we don't know," he said. "There are a lot of questions as to how this is all going to play out."
Christopher Sicuranza, constituent liaison in the mayor's office, said the administration wants to tread carefully.
"We're looking closely at what other municipalities are doing," he said. "We want to be business-friendly, and we want to encourage entrepreneurs who want to come in and help us build revenue. But at the same time, we want to work with the public to do what is safe, and get a sense of what we can and cannot do legally in terms of regulation.
"Clearly, there is a real evolution here, and it seems like Gloucester is in the middle of it," he said. "But at this point, we're actively watching and waiting."
Staff writer Ray Lamont can be reached at 978-675-2705, or via email at rlamont@gloucestertimes.com.
He says the accessories in his 182 Washington St. shop — the ninth in a chain that, until now, had been rooted in Boston and Cambridge with a lone venture into Malden — are all geared toward tobacco products, even though the company's foray here comes a week after a new state law made it legal to smoke marijuana recreationally.
"We don't do marijuana," said Rajib, setting up displays for pipes, vapor apparatus and other equipment. He concedes most could also be used to smoke the now-legal drug. "We're not looking to sell marijuana — that's a dispensary business. We're a retail business; we sell accessories."
Shops across Gloucester and Massachusetts couldn't legally yet sell marijuana for recreational use it they wanted to. But city officials say it's time Gloucester prepared for when they can.
"Do we need to do some rezoning, to decide where we should have these shops placed?" said Ward 3 Councilor Steve LeBlanc, whose territory includes the Boston Smoke Shop site. "I know it's legal, and they're legal, but we do have to think about a lot of issues here."
The smoking accessory business has quickly sprouted three such licenses and shops in Gloucester since the end of October. And the operators of the other two shops say they've geared their openings toward the legalization and the chance to sell marijuana over the counter perhaps as early as next year.
"That's the dream in my book," says Tyler Palm, who opened Cape Ann Vapors seven weeks ago at 242 Main St., in a unit adjacent to Stone's Pub & Eatery. His shop features a wide range of water pipes and vapor paraphernalia geared toward the increasingly popular e-cigarettes. He also notes many of the pipes and vaporizers in the store now don't work for smoking pot. "They would get all gummed up," he says.
But once the state legalizes the sale of recreational marijuana products, Palm says he'd like to be all in.
"A lot would depend on how the law is written," he says. "If it were written, for example, to require that I grew 70 percent of what I could sell, that wouldn't work for me. But if I could buy from a wholesaler, that's what I would want to do. That's a goal."
At Sunny's Variety on Railroad Avenue, owner Sunny Patel noted that his shop — open for 41/2 years — has sold hookahs for some time. Beginning Dec. 15 — the day the state's legalization took effect — he started stocking an added supply of water pipes and other accessories that can be used for smoking tobacco and marijuana products alike.
"That's why we did it on the 15th — because (marijuana) went legal," he said. "We can't sell yet, obviously, but would we want to sell it legally when and if we get the chance? Of course."
A question of regulation
LeBlanc is not the only city official who sees the legalization and the sudden burst of local smoke shop commerce as raising red flags.
Interim police Chief John McCarthy said he and other officers made the rounds to the three shops Wednesday.
"It's just a matter of making sure they're in compliance, and they are," McCarthy said. Among other mandates, the licenses for the shops limit any tobacco, e-cigarette or smoking accessory sales to those age 21 or older.
McCarthy also said he believes the city has some "work to do," adding that he, Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Chief Administrative Officer James Destino and others are looking at potential zoning provisions to regulate such shops and eventual pot sales.
"The thing is, the law was passed, it's in effect — and the whole state is playing catch-up right now," McCarthy said. He said he doesn't see any problems with regulation, suggesting there is even a model of sorts in place.
"We have controls over alcohol sales," he noted. "That's regulated and a lot of the same laws apply — the age limit and open container regulations. So in a way it's similar. But this is new — and it's new to everybody. Some planning just needs to be done on how we regulate from the city's side."
Max Schenk, the city's assistant health director, noted that a lot of tobacco and smoking regulation comes from the state — "and there hasn't been much information coming down as to what the expectations are going to be for oversight from local boards of health."
The city's health board issues licenses for retail shops to sell tobacco products, he said — adding that a Boston Smoke Shop license had not been issued as of Wednesday — but he, too, said a venture toward marijuana sales is "new ground."
Schenk added that there are no guidelines to date regarding any limits on the number of smoke shop licenses.
"It might be tied to the number of liquor licenses, but we don't know," he said. "There are a lot of questions as to how this is all going to play out."
Christopher Sicuranza, constituent liaison in the mayor's office, said the administration wants to tread carefully.
"We're looking closely at what other municipalities are doing," he said. "We want to be business-friendly, and we want to encourage entrepreneurs who want to come in and help us build revenue. But at the same time, we want to work with the public to do what is safe, and get a sense of what we can and cannot do legally in terms of regulation.
"Clearly, there is a real evolution here, and it seems like Gloucester is in the middle of it," he said. "But at this point, we're actively watching and waiting."
Staff writer Ray Lamont can be reached at 978-675-2705, or via email at rlamont@gloucestertimes.com.
Resource:http://www.salemnews.com/news/city-now-home-to-three-smoke-shops/article_f890cfcb-d71b-5bbe-b539-a2ae188d508b.html
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