Massachusetts marijuana retail shops’ rollout going ‘mostly according to plan,’ Gov. Charlie Baker says

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says he’s satisfied with the rollout of the state’s first recreational marijuana retail stores.

“I think it’s gone what I would describe, I guess, as mostly according to plan, which is a good thing,” Baker told MassLive.

Two stores, Cultivate in Leicester and New England Treatment Access (NETA) in Northampton, opened on Nov. 20, the first retail pot shops east of the Mississippi.

The Cannabis Control Commission released figures Tuesday showing consumers spent $2.2 million at the two shops over their first five days operation, as Leicester residents complained of traffic problems. The Worcester county town’s police chief, James Hurley, told residents at a Monday night emergency meeting that novelty of the new pot shop will eventually fade away.

The five-member commission and the new agency’s staffers are processing applications for additional retail shops across the state.

“I think obviously for the commission this is the beginning and I’m anticipating that they’ll learn as they go and if they need to make adjustments, they will,” Baker said after an unrelated holiday event at Faneuil Hall. [Read more at MassLive]