Twice in the past several months, Northampton leaders have clearly established the impact of the cannabis industry on the city. In October, the mayor declined to sign a host agreement for a dispensary in Florence due to the negative affect it would have on the village and its residents. Now, the City Council has passed a cap on the number of dispensaries, citing concerns about the adverse influence on youth and the sustainability of a saturated business market. Of Northampton’s 11 remaining dispensaries, six are clustered downtown creating substantial consequences for this one part of the city. The shops are located in the proximity of four schools, numerous daycares, and multiple substance and mental health recovery programs. These are the very populations for whom key parts of the opposition to the one dispensary in Florence were made, and support for the cap was partly structured upon.

Unlike most other areas in Northampton, downtown and its residents disproportionately — and now indefinitely — bear the heaviest impacts of the cannabis industry. As a result, the city has an obligation to mitigate these effects and take preventive action by committing to spend the majority of current and future cannabis tax money on the areas and populations where dispensaries are located. For instance, the city can designate funds for downtown social and recreational areas for teens, as well as annual youth events and festivities like block parties, talent shows, etc.

Additionally, as others have suggested, Northampton needs a comprehensive cannabis education program for adolescents, teens and young adults, for whom cannabis use, abuse and dependence has the greatest risk due to this critical time of brain development. Our city government has clearly established the consequences of cannabis on the city and the need to address it. Designating cannabis tax revenue to the parts of and people of the city most affected by Northampton’s uniquely high level of cannabis availability is logical and sensible. Not doing so would be an omission of responsibility, and miss a chance to address the impact and inequity of cannabis density in our downtown.

Jonathan Brody, Page Brody, Roni Gold, Peter Thunsfors

Northampton 

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