Massachusetts writes history by opening its first legal marijuana stores on the East Coast

Northampton mayor David Narkewicz, who was part of the Air Force, told reporters on Tuesday that he had made a "symbolic" purchase of a cannabis-infused chocolate bar, which he would keep instead of consuming. .

Shop employees applauded and applauded after Narkewicz made his purchase from NETA.

"I am proud that Northampton is playing a role in this historic day ending some 80 years of prohibition in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and entering a new modern era in which marijuana and cannabis use by adults is safe, tested and well regulated., "he said, to more cheers.

At a press conference on the eve of recreational sales, the mayor announced that he was considering preserving his purchase.

"My plan will actually keep it and post it because it will be a historic purchase here in the city," he said.

Stephen Mandile, an army veteran who served in Iraq – and a medical marijuana advocate – was the first to buy cannabis at the second store, Cultivate Holdings, in Leicester on Tuesday morning.

"I'd probably dreamed in high school that this day would happen from time to time, but being able to do it today is amazing," he said, according to Boston NBC. "Having veterans recognized, not just myself, but bringing other veterans with me and focusing on that, is really special for me."

Leicester Police Chief Jim Hurley told NBC News on Tuesday afternoon that officials "have seen a much larger crowd than expected" at Cultivate.

"We thought we could see between 600 and 1,000 people and we were at the top of the rankings," he said, adding that there were still 200 to 300 people online when he left the places shortly after 13:30.

"What made the success of this day was that we planned our work, but everyone who came did it very well," he said. "The crowd was excellent."

On Tuesday morning, when the NETA doors opened, the line surrounding the building welcomed hundreds of people in the cold rain and snow. The clinic staff distributed hot coffee, donuts and muffins. A spokesman for NETA said Tuesday morning in the afternoon that the line had been a quarter mile long and that hundreds of people had already made purchases in this company.

Amanda Rositano, director of organizational compliance for NETA, said at Monday's press conference with the mayor that the company was still prioritizing its patients for marijuana for medical purposes as part of the recreational sales and that she would inform customers of the use of marijuana as well as applicable rules and regulations. consumption.

Mitch Rosenfield, owner of the Hempest store, which sells hemp, cannabidiol / CBD products and smokers' accessories, welcomed the move.

"As the first state on the east coast to do that, I think we will see many people in New York, from all over the Northeast, who want to see what that means," he said.

Rosenfield said he was happy that the state took the time to do it right, but he noted that some things might have been overrated and that "we missed a lot of tax revenues" with the delay.

His store has organized signature campaigns, fundraisers and educational initiatives to legalize marijuana before the vote, he said.

"We tried to make that happen, we fought hard enough," he said. "We are delighted to see it really unveiled."

Kaitlin Scutari, director of Pinch Cateded Goods, which sells housewares, jewelry and other items, said she hoped sales would attract more customers.

"It's supposed to attract a lot of new people to Northampton, maybe people who have never been here before, so we're looking to see new faces in our store," she said.

Steven Hoffman, chairman of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, told NBC News that it was a "fairly intense" and "nonstop" process. to reach this point since the appointment of the commission in September 2017.

"I think the biggest challenge is just trying to solve the problem, there's no road map here, and it's a very controversial issue," he said. he declares.

Hoffman added that the commission was working to "balance the will of voters in terms of accessibility, public health and public safety".

"It will not happen in every town and village in the state, it will not be around every corner, but it will be accessible," he said.

Hoffman said Massachusetts "benefited enormously" from the lessons learned by states that previously legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, but that all states were different in terms of demographics and laws.

"So you can not just get up and get away from other states, but we can definitely learn from what they did that worked well and what they would have liked to be able to do differently, "he said.

In Massachusetts, pottery stores will be limited in the amount that they can sell in a single purchase – an ounce of flower or five grahams of concentrate – and public consumption and driving under the influence of marijuana are still illegal.

Sam Barber, president of Cultivate, said the store would follow these quantity rules the day it opened and that he could give no guarantee on the duration of his supplies. Meanwhile, NETA has set its initial purchase limit at eight ounces of flowers per customer.

Hoffman said that one thing that differentiated the Massachusetts law was the strict requirement of diversity "not only in terms of employment in the industry, but also in terms of ownership of shares" . It also includes the need "to help communities disproportionately affected by the previous war on drugs to ensure that they are full participants," he added.

Britte McBride, commissioner of the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, told NBC News that while the sector was expanding, the state needed a process of application. in several stages including rigorous controls and inspections to ensure that new contracts would comply with the law.

Mandile, the veteran of the military, had already told the Boston Globe that he was able to get rid of an anxious addiction by using marijuana to treat his PTSD, his head trauma and his pain chronic.

"I can do the story," Mandile told The Globe. "It means a lot, and I did not expect it to be the result of my plea – I was just trying to help people. I'm pumped to break the stigma and the weird and scary aura that people want to put on cannabis. "

Ezra Kaplan has been reported in Northampton, Mass., And Daniella Silva, New York.

Daniella Silva is a journalist for NBC News. She started at NBCNews.com in September 2013.

Ezra Kaplan

Ezra Kaplan is a producer for NBC News.

Emily Berk contributed.