No Hippie Lettuce For Wareham? [PHIL-OSOPHY]

It was termed a historic benchmark, as recreational cannabis made its commercial Massachusetts entrance, but why didn't Wareham's Pharmacannis get in on the fatty boom blatty media hype?

Three licenses were issued: one for Northampton, one for Leicester and one for Wareham. So why was the SouthCoast shut out of the buzz?

We made a call to the Wareham facility, and Sam, one of the very nice employees, told us that the state wanted the openings in a measured rollout. Pharmacannis is fully approved and ready to go as soon as the Cannabis Control Commission gives the green light, which could be any day. It will operate under the name Verilife. Sam said they have no idea when they will be approved to open.

It doesn't make any sense not to have included this area of the state on the first day of marijuana retail sales. It would have given the Wareham location a lot of free media attention, and prevented anyone a long drive from here to the other locations.

Among the first dudes in line to buy pot in Northampton were three amigos from Pittsfield: one was sporting a dreadlock wig, another in a Grateful Dead T-shirt and the other wore a bright orange hoodie and Carhartt pants, according to the Berkshire Eagle.

Oh, and through an arrangement, the first customer was Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz. I mean, come on, he has "Narc" right in his name!

In Leicester, customers were educated about the difference between Moonshine Haze and Purple Punch. Pre-rolled joints sold for $19 each, all prices included the 20 percent tax.

But SouthCoast will have to be a bit more patient for the arrival of Mr. J, as well as the tax revenue that comes from it.

Phil Paleologos is the host of The Phil Paleologos Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Contact him at phil@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @PhilPaleologos. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.