Take a stand and say NO to another cannabis dispensary in Northampton, this time in Florence, MA. Northampton currently has 12 cannabis dispensaries and enough is enough! Please join me by signing, commenting, and sharing this petition.

A dispensary anywhere in the village of Florence is wrong. The Euphorium LLC company dispensary owner's plan is to open at the Pizza Factory (30 years at that site) located at 143 No. Main St. The corner of Main and Maple St. is highly visible and is walking distance and garners much adolescent walking and bicycle traffic from our sole city middle school (J.F.K.), who love hanging out at Friendly's Ice Cream and Little Miss Flo's Soft Serve, both on Main St. (528 ft. and 282.2 ft. away respectively). 143 No. Main St. is also 498.7 feet from the Lilly Library which has a Children's Room with children’s materials and programming (19 Meadow St.), 52 Ft. from the D.M.H. supported low income housing (1 No. Main St.), 242.8 ft. from The Florence Inn (Servicenet mental health residence 15-17 No. Maple St.), 528 ft. from the C.S.O. All Stars afterschool program for D.M.H. children (34 No. Maple St.), it is 440 ft. from the C.S.O. Crisis & Respite Facility (29 No. Main St,), and it is .4 mile away from daily substance abuse recovery meetings at the Florence Community Center (140 Pine St.), as well .5 mile from the Star Light substance abuse recovery clubhouse (251 Nonotuck St.).

Note that the mayor of Northampton in April of 2022 allowed a cannabis microbusiness to operate at 34 No. Maple St., the same building the C.S.O. D.M.H. After School program is operating. My question is, who is thinking of our children, mental health and substance abuse communities? 

Opening a dispensary at the Pizza Factory location is one too many and the location is insensitive to children, families, and those with substance abuse issues. As an elementary school special education teacher and a 26-year homeowner in Florence (30-year resident of Northampton), I and others object. My family and others have also tragically lost loved ones to substance abuse. In terms of cannabis access, if those in the Berkshire Hilltowns need access to a dispensary, the site should be located there, or those individuals can utilize the new cannabis delivery services.