BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The first recreational marijuana retail store in Boston could be open in just a matter of weeks.
Marijuana company Pure Oasis was awarded its final license at the Cannabis Control Commission's public meeting in Worcester Thursday.
"This is an important milestone, and I just wanted to take a second to pause, and I'd like to wish Pure Oasis the best of luck," CCC Chairman Steven Hoffman said, as the room broke into applause.
Pure Oasis will also be the first applicant in the state to receive a license as part of the CCC's Economic Empowerment Program. That program requires the state to prioritize licenses to applicants from communities that have been disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition.
At a public CCC meeting last month, applicants under that program voiced their frustrations, saying the commission had let their applications sit idly for months.
Pot Business Applicants Voice Frustrations With State's Approval Process
At Thursday's meeting, Commissioner Shaleen Title praised Boston for moving forward with the dispensary as part of the equity program.
"I think it's worth noting that the commission has to prioritize economic empowerment applicants, but cities and towns do not," Title said. "So I want to acknowledge the city of Boston for voluntarily having a long-term vision and implementing it, and taking this step toward equity and fairness."
Currently, the nearest marijuana retail store to Boston is the Brookline location of New England Treatment Alternatives, just over the city line on Washington Street.
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