ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Alex Jones waters an aloe vera plant under a grow light at Green Harvest Hydroponics in Peabody.
By ADAM SWIFT
PEABODY — Legalize it, and I will advertise it, reggae legend Peter Tosh sang in the 1970s.
For at least one local business, the passage of Question 4 Tuesday, legalizing the use and sale of recreational marijuana in the state, should be a boon for business.
“I’m proud of the way the bill was put together, the way it stands now,” said Anthony Eugenio, director and co-founder of Green Harvest Hydroponics on Newbury Street in Peabody. “This is a huge step, not just for recreational marijuana, but for medical marijuana. We are getting something that is truly a medicine in the forefront of popular culture, which is where I believe it should be.”
Green Harvest Hydroponics provides supplies for inside and outside growing. And while the store offers more than just products for growing pot, there is a focus on helping people set up growing for medical marijuana.
Question 4 allows for the legalization, regulation and taxation of marijuana.
As of Dec. 15 of this year, anyone 21 or older can possess and use recreational marijuana. But it will remain illegal for those under 21.
Residents will be able to possess up to one ounce of weed in public and 10 ounces in a private residence. They will also be able to grow up to six marijuana plants on private property, and give up to one ounce of marijuana to another person of legal age with payment.
But while use and possession will be legal next month, recreational sales are still more than a year away.
The state treasurer will appoint a three-person Cannabis Control Commission, as well as a 15-member advisory board. The commission has until Jan. 1, 2018 to adopt industry regulations. If the commission cannot hammer out the regulations, the state’s existing medical marijuana dispensaries will be able to sell weed for recreational purposes.
“Lt. Governor Polito and I are proud to have worked with an unprecedented bipartisan coalition that has voiced concerns with this proposal, and our administration will work closely with lawmakers, educators and public safety and public health professionals to ensure this transition protects the interests of our communities and families,” Gov. Charlie Baker said in a statement earlier this week.
Retail marijuana would be subject to the state sales tax, with an additional 3.75 percent excise tax. A community can choose to add up to 2 percent in additional taxes.
Stores would be subjected to random inspections and audits of books and records by the commission. Security would be mandated. Packaging will be required to include a symbol or other easily recognizable marking indicating that it contains marijuana; it will also distinguish a serving size within a package of multiple servings.
The nearest open medical marijuana dispensary is in Salem, but last month in Lynn, officials decided to invite medical marijuana treatment centers to the city. Last summer, the city council selected a zoning district along the non-waterfront side of the Lynnway from Market Street to the General Edwards Bridge, two sites on Commercial Street and all properties on Route 107 from the Belden Bly Bridge to the intersection of Western and Murphy avenues.
City Council President and state Rep. Dan Cahill (D-Lynn) said it’s still up in the air as to how the ballot initiative will affect the city and the zoning district.
“We just don’t know how it will affect the municipalities,” said Cahill. “We will be working on it in the legislature as soon as possible.”
While the recreational dispensaries won’t be in place until 2018 at the earliest, Eugenio said his store will be ready for all questions and customers who wish to grow their own marijuana come Dec. 15.
“The biggest misconception is that it is difficult to grow and that it is a long process,” he said. Starting grow kits are priced as low as $200 and bring in a quality harvest at a lower price than someone could get at a dispensary.
“We guarantee results, and it’s not hard,” said Eugenio.
Adam Swift can be reached at aswift@itemlive.com.