Almost three years after Massachusetts voters authorized medical marijuana, the first dispensary in western Massachusetts opened Monday.
The medical marijuana dispensary in Northampton operated by New England Treatment Access pre-registered more than 600 patients, so there were no lines and no backups on the first day.
Spokesman Norton Arbelaez said neighbors and government officials in Northampton have welcomed the new business.
" We are here to show that medical marijuana can be done in a responsible fashion and first and foremost for the benefit of the many many sick people in our state that need access to this medicine," said Arbelaez.
The licensing of medical marijuana facilities in Massachusetts by the state’s public health department had a trouble history marked by litigation. Only two other dispensaries are open in the state.
