By Adam Swift
Earlier this year, the city council approved a change in Chelsea’s marijuana ordinance allowing extended hours for retail dispensaries, putting the establishments more in line with what is allowed for package stores. Under the original ordinance, retail marijuana dispensaries could operate from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
At last week’s licensing commission meeting, it approved later operating hours for two dispensaries, but balked at allowing one to open an hour earlier at 8 a.m.
Commission members Enio Lopez and Alexandria Christmas both raised concerns about the dispensaries being open early in the morning when kids are going to school. Commission Chair Marnie MacAlpine noted that with the exception of Sundays, package stores in the city are allowed to open early in the morning, but with two members of the four member board leaning against the earlier opening, the commission unanimously approved the 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. operating hours for Harbor House Collective at 80 Eastern Ave. and 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. for Rise Chelsea at 200 Beacham St. Richard Su, the chief compliance officer for Harbor House Collective, said the extended hours will allow the business to serve more customers who work second shift or late-night shifts. He said it could also help better spread out the number of customers in the dispensary at any one time.
Currently, Su said Harbor House Collective sees about 500 to 600 customers per day. Chelsea Police Sgt. Star Chung said the department didn’t have any concerns with the extended hours of operation. “It would align with the liquor stores with the 11 o’clock closings,” Chung said.
In other business, the commission held a disciplinary hearing for the EZMart on Washington Avenue concerning several issues that were discovered during a compliance check in the spring. Those issues involved signage and the proper use of surveillance cameras. The commission continued the hearing for two months to give the police department time to see if the store had properly addressed the issues.