Summer Street Liquor Store Put on One-Year Probation

ARLINGTON, MA — Arlington Liquors, located at 94 Summer Street, was handed a one-year probation after a 60 mg edible marijuana product was found on store property by Arlington police.

During its meeting Monday, the Arlington Board of Selectmen unanimously ruled that the store be put on probation following a hearing Monday. The terms of the probation dictate that another violation of the store's liquor license would be subject to a five-day suspension.

"This is a very serious offense and there needs to be some sort of penalty meted out from it," said Chairman Diane Mahon of the Board of Selectmen at the meeting.

According to the police report, officers were dispatched to the store to investigate a report of an unconscious person at the store, where police later found the edible.

Police later found Arlington Liquors president and manager Alex Kushnirsky slumped over a chair. The police report further indicated that a store employee told officers that Kushnirsky may have taken "opioids." After attempting to wake him up, officers administered Narcan to Kushnirsky, which caused him to vomit and regain consciousness.

According to the police report, the employee told police that he believed Kushnirsky had taken pills such as Percocet. Kushnirsky later told officers that he had only smoked marijuana and had not taken any pills.

Both officer Scott Urquhart and Kushnirsky's attorney Vincent Panico indicated that he was not working in the front of the store during the incident.

Panico further stated that Kushnirsky deals with a stomach condition that causes him daily pain.

"I'm at the mercy of this panel," said Kushnirsky at the meeting."I take full responsibility for the way this worked out. I'm sorry and I apologize."

Mahone was sympathetic to Kushnirsky's medical condition, but did not accept that he was the victim of an unfortunate situation.

"You are the manager and president of this corporation," Mahon said. "In my opinion, you sort of rise to a higher standard."

Mahon also stated at the meeting that there had been prior incidents of underage sales, as well as complaints from residents about the employees at the store. Kushnirsky responded by saying that employees had been terminated due to underage sales of tobacco, and owned up to the prior violations.

Before voting, the selectmen had previously discussed a three-day suspension of the store's liquor license. The selectmen voted against the suspension by a count of two in favor and three opposed.

Commending the work of the police department, selectman Daniel Dunn felt that a suspension was too heavy of a penalty to impose.

"I am glad that we are having this conversation, but I don't think that a three day suspension is a punishment that fits the crime," Dunn added at the meeting.

Image via Arlington Community Media Screenshot