WEST SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – The first marijuana retailer opened in West Springfield on Friday after many years of pushback from people in town.
“I’m feeling great. It’s been such a long trip and it’s very rewarding to finally get to this point,” said Thomas Keenan, CEO and co-owner of Cannabis Connection.
It was a monumental day in West Springfield as Cannabis Connection, the town’s first retail marijuana shop, opened for business on Friday. Keenan told us that it was a long process to get them to this day. He has been working to bring this dispensary to life since 2018 when recreational marijuana sales first started in Massachusetts, but the West Springfield city council didn’t approve adult-use sales until 2022. So far, he said community response has been welcoming.
“The community has been accepting and great so far. I think the city, the government is appreciative of the fact we’re putting a lot of money into this and bringing a lot of jobs to West Springfield, and we’ll be bringing some tax revenue as well,” Keenan added.
Among those in attendance for the grand opening was West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt, who has pushed for allowing the retail sales of marijuana from the beginning due to