Hastings dispensary near youth center draws concern as opening nears
The planned shop sits directly across from a youth drug prevention program and shares a wall with a children’s dance studio.
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A recreational marijuana dispensary on Main Street in Hastings is now just weeks from opening - and some parents are raising alarms about its proximity to youth programs.
The planned shop sits directly across from a youth drug prevention program and shares a wall with a children’s dance studio.
Hastings resident and mother Lauren Berman urged trustees to reconsider at Tuesday night’s village board meeting. She cited research from the Journal of Adolescent Health that showed higher teen cannabis use in areas with storefront sales.
Her concerns went unaddressed as the board moved on to other business.
Dispensary co-owner Josh Elyacher told News 12 that a regulated store will reduce youth access by undercutting illegal dealers. But longtime resident Bob McKinnon, who has worked with the White House Office of National Drug Policy, argued the comparison is flawed, saying offering “safer cannabis” is like offering a “safer handgun.”
The final step for the project is a building permit, meaning cannabis sales on Main Street could begin within weeks.
