A crowd dispersed peacefully but some people booed and called police buzz kills after a Springfield business was shut down Wednesday for giving customers who visited the shop free samples of pot in exchange for an entrance fee, officials said.
The owner of Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing, on Page Boulevard, was issued a cease and desist letter by police on behalf of the citys law department and director of licensing. City officials said the business was violating the states recreational marijuana law and a city ordinance.
Springfield Police Sergeant John Delaney said the shop had been offering patrons free gifts of marijuana after paying a $20 cover at the door. Customers could opt for a $50 VIP pass, according to Delaney, which would ensure them three free samples of different strains of marijuana when leaving.
A ballot initiative approved by voters in November legalized possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana as of mid-December, but stores cannot sell the drug until 2018.
The new law also allows the exchange of up to one ounce of the drug as long as its not advertised or promoted and done without remuneration.
According to state law, delayed or diguised payments and sham transactions are still crimes.
On its website, Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing advertised a marijuana infused chocolate bar upon every visit to the store or a complimentary gram.
The store was shut down following a joint investigation by police, the district attorneys office, and the mayors office.
Delaney said he hand-delivered the letter to the property owners at 2:30 p.m. When he arrived, there were roughly 60 people waiting in line to get into the store, which sells vaporizers and e-cigarette products. Five additional people were in the store making purchases of the marijuana, he said.
Delaney said the business owner immediately complied with police, and shut down operations. The crowd dispersed peacefully, though some expressed their dissatisfaction with boos and the buzz kill comments, according to Delaney.
As of Thursday morning, Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing remained closed.
It appears the person is going to cooperate and follow the letter of the law, he said, adding that there were no arrests or citations given. But that remains to be seen.
Officials had been aware of Mary Jane Makes Your Heart Sing for at least a few weeks.
On Wednesday, City Councilor Michael Fenton said beside skirting the states recreational marijuana law, the operators were also in violation of an ordinance passed in January that restricts pot shops from opening until new zoning regulations are passed.
This isnt the first time someone has made a backdoor approach to selling marijuana.
In January, a Craigslist ad offered the sale of empty plastic bags ranging in price from $20 to $325. Depending on which bag a person purchased, the seller promised to include a gift of marijuana inside.
And on Saturday, the Globe published a story about HighSpeed Technology Inc., a juice delivery company that gives away marijuana with each sale. Officials have called the operation a thinly concealed scheme to sell the drug.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Springfield Shop Giving Marijuana ‘Gifts’ Shut Down
Author: Steve Annear
Contact: 1-888-694-5623
Photo Credit: John Tlumacki
Website: The Boston Globe
