East Boston’s first adult-use retail marijuana facility planned for Meridian Street will open as early as April.
Berkshire Roots, Inc. plans to open the marijuana dispensary at 253 Meridian St. and recieved community support from the Eagle Hill Civic Association and later granted a Conditional Use Permit by the Boston Zoning Board of Appeals last year.
Berkshire Roots is the largest grower of cannabis in Western Massachusetts, and was the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Berkshire Roots’s attorney Andrea Nucifero said that his client is intending to use and redevelop the retail space at 253 Meridian St. into a retail marijuana dispensary. The proposal for the Meridian Street pot shop includes transforming the 1,400 sq. ft. retail space on the first floor of the building into a sleek and stylish dispensary with façade improvements and subtle and understated signage.
Nucifero said there would be no cultivation, processing, or packaging on site. There would also be no product consumption on site and the product would not be visible from the street.
There will be a security guard at the front door. When a potential customer enters he or she must present either a valid Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Card or a valid state license or identification card proving the customer is over 21 years of age. Between the front door and the actual dispensary is a locked door. The front door and internal ‘locked’ door are never open at the same time. Once the customer is approved by the security guard, an employee inside the dispensary would have to activate a buzzer for the internal door to allow the customer inside.
“It’s a very strict and rigorous process,” said Nucifero.
Aside from paying the city 3 percent of its sales per quarter, Berkshire Roots also agreed to install security cameras in and around the business, and to participate in public safety and beautification initiatives in and around the business.
According to the agreement with the city, there will be no benches or social gathering areas in or around the business and Berkshire Roots agrees to prohibit smoking, vaping or any other form of consumption of marijuana onsite. The company also agrees to share data and reports to the Boston Public Health Commission, as well as assist in the dissemination of materials related to public health, public safety and prevention efforts.