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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 21, 2018)
Page 8A NATION/WORLD East Oregonian Wednesday, November 21, 2018 Crowds line up at 1st East Coast pot shops By STEVEN SENNE AND BOB SALSBERG Associated Press LEICESTER, Mass. — Customers waited in long lines, sometimes for hours, on a cold and rainy New England day to be among the first people to legally buy recreational marijuana on the U.S. East Coast. More than two years after Massachusetts voters approved of legalizing mar- ijuana for adults, the state’s first two fully licensed pot shops opened Tuesday in Leicester and Northamp- ton, selling strains of the part of the plant that can be smoked; pre-rolled joints; and edibles, such as brown- ies and chocolate bars. Marijuana is already sold legally in six Western states, but the long-awaited opening of recreational out- lets in the East was hailed as major milestone for the cannabis industry in the U.S., with Massachusetts viewed as a potential $1.5 billion-a-year market. Can- ada began legal sales last month as well. A celebratory atmo- sphere ruled outside the shops, with buyers undaunted by the grim weather. Cheers went up when the stores opened at 8 a.m. sharp. One man, who dubbed himself “Potsquatch,” arrived at the Northampton store adorned from head to toe in a leafy marijuana costume. Customers were shuttled to Cultivate, the Leices- ter store, from a parking lot about a mile away as police kept a visible but low-key presence outside. Custom- ers perused offerings kept behind counters and under glass. Kenny Boisvert, a 33-year-old Blackstone res- ident, was pleasantly sur- prised by his purchasing experience. “It’s a very nice place. It’s way more than I expected,” he said as he waited to pick up edibles and buds. There were no immedi- ate reports of product short- ages at the stores, some- thing that has plagued the initial start of recreational pot sales in some other states. Massachusetts’ top marijuana regulator said the crowds appeared orderly and praised operators for doing a thorough job of preparing for the first sales. “It’s only two stores but it represents, I think, a for- midable accomplishment,” said Steven Hoffman, chairman of the Cannabis Control Commission, not- ing the panel started meet- ing only 14 months ago. Some legalization advo- cates have been critical of the slow pace of regulation and licensing by the state, while others have faulted cities and towns for throw- ing up roadblocks to mar- Leon Nguyen/The Republican via AP A man wearing a costume of “Potsquatch” poses with customers outside New England Treatment Access cannabis dispensary on the first day of legal recreational marijuana sales on Tuesday in Northampton, Mass. NETA is one of the first two shops permitted to sell recreational marijuana in the eastern United States, more than two years after Massachusetts voters approved it in 2016. ijuana businesses, or in some cases banning them altogether. The commission issued final licenses Tuesday to two more retail stores, in Salem and Easthampton, which could open in the coming weeks. But as yet there are no pot shops in the greater Boston area, where more than half the state’s population resides. George Graham, of Shelton, Connecticut, told Masslive.com he drove up Monday and got in line early at the Northampton store after spending the night at a nearby motel. “Everybody is happy to celebrate. I think it’s going to open the door to freedom for a lot of people in sur- rounding states,” said Gra- ham, who is registered to use medical marijuana in Connecticut but is hoping his state will legalize recre- ational pot. Democratic Gov.-elect Ned Lamont of Connecti- cut supports legalization and hopes it will be a prior- ity for state lawmakers next year. Rhode Island Demo- cratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has also said she is open to legalization. Daquaan Hamilton, a 22-year-old student at nearby University of Mas- sachusetts-Amherst, was among the first inside the Northampton store after beginning his wait shortly after midnight. “There are a lot of people throughout our history who have done prison time for such minor offenses — like having weed paraphernalia, or having small amounts on them — and the fact that I can walk out of the store right now with this and not be afraid of anything that can happen to me, it’s pretty great,” Hamilton told The Boston Globe. As the first stores opened in his state, Democratic U.S Rep. Joe Kennedy announced he had changed his perspective on mari- juana and would now push to have the federal govern- ment legalize and regulate the drug nationally. Kennedy said he had been skeptical of legaliza- tion in the past because of concerns that marijuana could be addictive, espe- cially for adolescents. “At the same time, I’ve heard from others who see marijuana quite differently. The parent whose epilep- tic child needs marijuana to calm her seizures. The vet- eran whose trauma it eases. The black teen arrested for smoking a joint while his white friends did the same with impunity,” Kennedy wrote in an opinion piece in STAT, a health and medical publication. BRIEFLY Trump provides written responses to Mueller questions WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has provided the special counsel’s office with written answers to questions about his knowledge of Russian interference in the 2016 election, his lawyers said Tuesday, marking the first time Trump has directly coop- erated with the investigation. The step is a milestone in a months-long negotiation between Trump’s attorneys and special counsel Robert Mueller’s team over whether and when the president would sit for an interview. They repre- sent the first time the president is known to have described to investigators his knowledge of key moments under scru- tiny by prosecutors. If Mueller finds the answers satisfactory, the responses may also help stave off a potential subpoena fight over Trump’s testimony. The compromise outcome, nearly a year in the making, offers some benefit to both sides. Trump avoids, at least for now, a potentially risky and unpredictable sit-down with prosecutors, while Mueller secures a set of on-the-record statements whose accuracy the president and his lawyers will be expected to stand by for the duration of the investigation. “The president today answered written questions submitted by the special coun- sel’s office,” attorney Jay Sekulow said in a statement. “The questions presented dealt with issues regard- ing the Russia-related topics of the inquiry. The president responded in writing.” Sekulow said in a fol- low-up message that the legal team would not release copies of the questions and answers or discuss correspondence with the special counsel’s office. Americans, Canadians are warned: Don’t eat romaine lettuce NEW YORK (AP) — Health officials in the U.S. and Canada told people on Tues- day to stop eating romaine let- tuce because of a new E. coli outbreak. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it is work- ing with officials in Canada on the outbreak, which has sick- ened 32 people in 11 states and 18 people in the Cana- dian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. The strain identified is dif- ferent than the one linked to romaine earlier this year but appears similar to last year’s outbreak linked to leafy greens. FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency doesn’t have enough infor- mation to ask suppliers for a recall, but he suggested that supermarkets and restaurants should withdraw romaine until the source of the contamina- tion can be identified. The contaminated lettuce is likely still on the market, Got- tlieb told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. Caravan migrants weigh options after court blocks Trump ban TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — Migrants camped in Tijuana after traveling in a car- avan to reach the U.S were weighing their options Tues- day after a U.S. court blocked President Donald Trump’s asylum ban for illegal border crossers. Many said they have no intention of breaking the law, but were feeling pressure after anti-migrant protests in this Mexican border city amid claims by Trump and the Tijuana mayor that the cara- van harbors gang members and criminals, something they strongly deny. The Museum Store at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute Holiday Sale 30% to 70% off everything! November 23 & 24 It’s Black Friday and Small Business Saturday at the Museum Store. Everything is marked down 30%-70% off for two days only! You’ll find incredible deals on Pendleton blankets, jewelry, children’s toys and books, apparel, CDs and DVDs, art, and fleece items. Don’t miss out! *Offers not good in conjunction with other offers, discounts. Be a part of the giving by becoming a Winterfest Sponsor. Contact Emily Smith at 541-278-2627 about Sponsorship information, your help is greatly appreciated in making this wonderful event a success. Friday DECEMBER 7 th , 2018 Evening Gala | 6:00 pm Saturday DECEMBER 8 th , 2018 Family Day | 10am-2pm 21 or older | $40 EACH FREE ADMISSION tickets sold via presale at SAHPENDLETON.ORG/WINTERFEST or by calling 541-278-2627 Sponsored by WIldhorse Resort & Casino • Prime Rib and Salmon Dinner • Lunch with Santa & his elves • Live and Silent Auctions • Make ornaments & playdough • Music, Dancing, full cash bar, table games gift shop, wreaths, and swags for sale • Write letters to Santa BOTH EVENTS WILL BE LOCATED AT THE Pendleton Convention Center For more information or to purchase tickets, contact St. Anthony Hospital Foundation at 541-278-2627 Proceeds benefi t St. Anthony Hospital Foundation, Cason’s Place Grief Support for Children & Families, and Pioneer relief nursery. More information is available at SAHPENDLETON.ORG/WINTERFEST FIRST FRIDAYS ARE FREE! Exhibits, Museum Store Open Mon-Sat, 10am-5pm Kinship Café Open Mon-Sat, 11am-2pm 541.429.7700 | www.tamastslikt.org
