The Green Lady Dispensary is the first cannabis retailer on Nantucket, Massachusetts, to receive a marijuana shipment by water after a legal victory that allowed MJ products to be transported to the island.
Finalized in June, the regulation change addressed longstanding restrictions that had prevented marijuana operators from legally bringing cannabis products via waterways to remote islands, impacting communities such as Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
‘This is history-making’
“In the world of cannabis, this is history-making,” The Green Lady owner Nicole Campbell said in a statement.
“We are proud to be the first – and, for now, the only – dispensary bringing cannabis to Nantucket.
“This is a huge win for our family-run business and an even bigger win for our industry.”
Campbell explained the difficulty in transporting cannabis products via water.
“As any boat captain knows, there are perils,” she said. “It’s a long, roundabout trip that’s difficult to make…
“The journey to reach this point was not easy, but it is a meaningful accomplishment. …”
Part of the journey involved The Green Lady joining forces with Island Time – another adult-use and medical marijuana retailer but on Martha’s Vineyard – to file a lawsuit in May against the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission (CCC).
Island Time closed for more than six weeks because of a lack of inventory that resulted when Fine Fettle, the only marijuana cultivator and manufacturer on Martha’s Vineyard, announced it would permanently close “no later than September.”
Both Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket are surrounded by water and can be accessed only by sea or air, so they were unable to receive product deliveries while remaining compliant with CCC policies.
Regulators finally acquiesced
The CCC approved an administrative order on June 13 granting the plaintiffs the right to receive wholesale marijuana products via ship.
The small boats must navigate shallow water, sandbars and unpredictable weather to deliver cannabis products to Nantucket.
The Green Lady Dispensary said it conducted research to curate a menu offering the best products in the industry.
The company prioritized small craft cultivators over large multistate operators, selecting top brands that align with the states that Nantucket’s residents and visitors hail from.
“We did the homework to only bring the best quality cannabis products to the island,” Campbell said.
“Our goal is to offer a selection that not only meets our standards but truly aligns with what the Nantucket consumer will appreciate.”
Margaret Jackson can be reached at margaret.jackson@mjbizdaily.com.
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