Massachusetts

3rd Recreational Pot Shop Opens in Salem, Mass.

The first buyer, Salem City Councillor Josh Turiel, handed over $107.60 moments after the store opened at 9 a.m.

Alternative Therapies Group, the first-in-the-state to open for medical marijuana sales, became the third store to open for recreational pot sales as hundreds of appointment-only customers stood outside the Grove Street shop on Saturday.

The first buyer, Salem City Councillor Josh Turiel, handed over $107.60 moments after the store opened at 9 a.m.

“A cartridge of Girl Scout Cookies Craft Reserve, and a pre-roll of chronic,” he said, reading the items on his receipt. “The pen and the cartridge are for one day when I get motivated to give it a try.”

The customers, all of whom were required to make an appointment online, formed a line in the parking lot for nearly nine hours.

“I just wanted to make a legal purchase of marijuana,” said Christopher Nelson, who was the first customer in line. “We bought I think it’s Captain’s Cake, a few of the flower, some oils and a pen.”

There were no traffic issues throughout the day. Many of the customers were brought from a nearby train station to the store in shuttles.

In November, two stores — Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access in Northampton — became the first shops to open for recreational marijuana sales.

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