Massachusetts cannabis stores sue governor to allow re-opening
The Associated PressApril 9, 2020
A group of Massachusetts marijuana dispensaries have sued Gov. Charlie Baker over his decision to shutdown recreational cannabis operations in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Gov. Baker says the problem is out-of-staters traveling to buy legal weed in Massachusetts.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday asks the court to allow recreational shops to reopen, saying the closure will cause serious harm to the industry.
The Republican governor said keeping the stores open would harm the state’s ability to control the spread of the virus because they draw many customers from other states where recreational marijuana remains illegal.
“Significant numbers of the customers who procure cannabis at recreational marijuana dispensaries in Massachusetts are not from Massachusetts,” Baker said Wednesday. “Making those sites available to anybody from the northeast would cut completely against the entire strategy we’re trying to pursue.”
The Cannabis Control Commission said Tuesday that recreational marijuana suppliers can sell their products to medical cannabis dispensaries. The state has said medical marijuana sales are “essential” and may continue.
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