PHOTOGRAPHS^ BY^ GETTYIMAGES/BOSTON^GLOBEStrategies
O
n October 25, 2018,
some 120 concerned
citizens in Brook-
line, Mass., took to
the streets, waving
placards and chant-
ing slogans, to pro-
test a development
they believed would imperil the
local children and businesses: a
retail cannabis shop.
The protesters soon orga-
nized themselves into Savethe store would be, by their
analyses, in slight violation of
several zoning ordinances. They
even argued that retail canna-
bis is so new, opening up a shop
would be akin to subjecting
locals to “a big experiment.”
These kinds of arguments are
not unique to pot. Other con-
troversial businesses also face
community pushback—from
bars to discount stores. Why?
Some residents are concernedSt. Mary’s Neighborhood, a
powerful coalition that col-
lected more than 1,200 letters
opposing the proposed store.
They argued that the dispen-
sary would bring in too much
traffic, clogging streets and
changing the character of the
neighborhood. They argued
that it would be a bad influence
in a family-minded area, with at
least 13 nearby youth- oriented
institutions. They argued thatthat these outlets will attract
crime and other undesirable ele-
ments to their neighborhood.
Others fear the impact they will
have on the value of their homes.
With cannabis, there’s a
particularly stark disconnect
between people’s attitudes and
openness. The Pew Research
Center found that while around
90 percent of Americans sup-
port legalizing medical mari-
juana, nearly half said they’d be“Not in My Neighborhood”
Sometimes a community just isn’t ready to welcome a strange new business.
Here’s how dispensaries have managed to quell (or be defeated by) local objections. by MARK HAY52 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / March 2020→ NO DABS ALLOWED
Warning signs against
public consumption
of marijuana posted
around Brookline Village,
Brookline, Mass.