Boston College Against Turning Mary Ann's Dive Bar Into Pot Shop

CLEVELAND CIRCLE — Boston College, local merchants, residents and area police oppose a proposal that would convert classic Mary Ann’s dive bar into a pot shop.

"We are in agreement that the proposal is not in the best interest of the community," Boston College spokesperson Jack Dunn wrote in an email to Patch. "Boston College joined Boston Police, merchants from Cleveland Circle, and neighbors in opposing the proposed marijuana dispensary in Cleveland Circle."

Dunn told Patch the college plans to "support the community groups and city officials" who oppose the proposal as it works its way through the city's review process, but did not specify how or who the officials were. He also declined to go into specific reasons for the college's opposition to the plan.

Happy Valley Ventures of Massachusetts, which is opening a medical-marijuana dispensary in East Boston and has projects in Newburyport, Gloucester and Salem, said it has a purchase-and-sale agreement to buy Mary Ann's and turn it into a contemporary pot shop for both recreational and medical marijuana users, Universal Hub reported.

The owner of the marijuana retailer made a proposal Wednesday night in front of the Brighton Allston Improvement Association, a local civic group that makes recommendations to the city on businesses and development.

But residents, business owners and a college representative said indicated they're not comfortable with pot in the neighborhood. According to the Hub, critics said it would scare off families from Cleveland Circle.

But the new chief of the Boston College Police Department told Patch his concerns run deeper. He was a vocal opposition to recreational marijuana dispensaries when they was first floated in Boston, where he was police commissioner, and he doesn't believe it would be good for this area, either.

"It will only lead to more serious drug use by young kids," Chief Bill Evans said, pointing to his experiences on the Boston Police force. "More importantly I think there's health and safety issues here.

"Some people will go to the store for it, but once they get used to smoking marijuana, they'll go to the black market for it, where it's cheaper," he said. "It's not a harmless drug. And I think it's going to lead to a lot of unintended consequences both in health and safety."

Patch reached out to Happy Valley founder Michael Reardon but he did not respond to request for comment.

District 9 City Councilor Mark Ciommo did not return several requests for comment.

The retailer would need to win support from the City Council and approval from both state marijuana regulators and the Boston zoning board before it could open.

If it gets that far, Happy Valley would buy the building from Boston Group, which purchased the bar, and some other Boston dives earlier this year. Boston Group is managed by City Realty.

Previously on Patch:

Changes Ahead For Mary Ann's In Cleveland Circle

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Photo By Jenna Fisher/ Patch Staff