With Marijuana Legalization Passed In Massachusetts, Owner Of Potco Ready For License

Katelyn Baker

Well-Known Member
Springfield - Unsurprisingly, David Mech, owner of the Potco store at 522 Sumner Ave., is pleased that Massachusetts voters decided Tuesday to legalize marijuana and sell it under similar regulations to those that pertain now to alcohol.

And he'd like Potco to be one of the first marijuana shops licensed under the new law.

"We would love to be one of the licensed sellers," Mech said Wednesday afternoon. "We definitely want to do that."

But first, the state and the city would have to come up with the regulations governing those licenses, a process Mech said should start soon. Marijuana becomes legal under the referendum in just five weeks, on Dec. 15.

The passage of Question 4 will allow people 21 and older to possess up to 1 ounce of marijuana outside their residence and possess up to 10 ounces inside their residence.

Under the law, retail marijuana shops can start opening in 2018, with a preference being given to establishments that are already medical marijuana dispensaries.

"You can't advertise it. You won't be able to sell it. But you can give it away," said Mech, an attorney who uses cannabidiol, or CBD - an extract of hemp that lacks marijuana's psychoactive properties - to treat his bad back. "I think you are going to see a lot of people pop up with creative ways to give it away."

As Colorado transitioned to licensed marijuana shops, some operators advertised classes in marijuana or clubs for distribution.

"It's going to be very interesting (in Massachusetts)," Mech said.

Mech opened Potco, which he bills as the "Costco of marijuana," at the X earlier this year. The store is not a dispensary, but it does sell CBD, which is unregulated under state law.

Potco also sells fertilizers, grow lamps, indoor growing tents and hydroponic and aquaponic setups. Aquaponics is a system like hydroponics, where plants are grown in water, with the addition of fish or other marine life to provide plant nutrients.

The store also has a new cafe with CAD-infused foods.

He even has Potsquatch, a green-suited mascot who makes the rounds to fairs and festivals.

Mech said the new recreational marijuana law will make it less of a hassle for those who need it as medicine to get it.

The new law will also get more people interested in growing their own supply, boosting sales of equipment.

"We have been getting more and more people every day in the store," he said, noting that CBD is increasingly popular.

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News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: With Marijuana Legalization Passed In Massachusetts, Owner Of Potco Store In Springfield Ready For License
Author: Jim Kinney
Contact: MassLive
Photo Credit: Dave Roback
Website: MassLive
 
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