I am not sure who writes the script for the Northampton sitcom, but the last few episodes are brilliant. The great irony of the City Council restricting the number of permits for cannabis dispensaries and in the next breath the city asking for more liquor licenses is brilliant. And then the obligatory letter from medical professionals pointing out the evils of marijuana was perfectly timed.
I do not remember anyone in the group asking for the permit for the new dispensary indicating that the evil weed is actually good for underage individuals — maybe I just missed it. I seem to remember that underage drinking is also not to be encouraged. Where are the letters from members of the community lamenting the problems of drinking and driving, and the underage use of alcohol?
Unless the underage use of marijuana is 100% (or for that matter alcohol), then there are responsible parents and teenagers that recognize that underage use of these products is detrimental. There are valid reasons to increase the number of liquor licenses just as there are valid reasons to increase the number of marijuana permits. Revenue increases might be one of them. In addition, by adding more dispensaries this might place more of them in walking distance of the citizenry, thus limiting the need to drive. By couching the argument in terms of the evils of use, Northampton is now placing itself as the parent and not the city government.
Graham Gal
Amherst