Two years after recreational marijuana became available for legal sale in Massachusetts, the first adult-use pot store has opened in Springfield.
Though it started serving customers about a week ago, the Liberty Springfield recreational marijuana shop had its grand opening Friday.
But unlike when the first recreational stores opened in the state right before Thanksgiving of 2018, there were no out-of-state plates in the parking lot and no huge line of people clamoring to get in.
Siobhan Rosa, who lives nearby, walked out with a few joints and some marijuana buds.
"I think it’s great," she said. "I think it’s wonderful for this area. There’s so many people who commute through this area and I think it’s going to bring a lot of volume to what Boston Road has to offer, especially Springfield, because we’re a great city."
John Sagan of Monson was also among the first customers of Liberty Springfield on Friday.
"I bought some LA Confidential, East Coast Sour Diesel and Orange Shiskaberry. A couple pre-rolls — a Moontang and Roadkill Unicorn," he said.
Sagan said he’s pleased the store is open for business.
"It’s awesome," he said. "It’s a little bit closer then I don’t have to go further. That’s the great part about it. It’s just easy access."
In the time it took Springfield, the largest city in western Massachusetts, to get its first recreational pot store open, three retailers opened in Northampton, four in Pittsfield and two in Holyoke.
Massachusetts now has 90 marijuana retailers that are already open or have received a license from the state to do so soon
