BUTTE - A cannabis dispensary, which just opened in this building in Uptown, Butte, is located right next to Butte High School, and some school officials and parents say that’s just too close for comfort.
“If you’re walking through the halls, you can actually see the back doors of that business. It’s like an open book saying, ‘come on in, come on in, marijuana is cool.’ Their minds are fragile, they are still learning,” said Rachel Boothe, a concerned parent of a Butte High student.
The dispensary Starr Buds recently opened in the former Miller’s Boots and Shoes at 301 South Arizona Street. The business is adjacent to the school at 401 South Wyoming Street. Principal John Metz said he found out about the new dispensary just a couple of weeks before school started.
“And I was upset. Right? I don’t think that’s the place for it, I mean, it’s a stone's throw away from the high school,” said Metz.
The principal complained to the city but said there was nothing that could be done to prevent it. State law requires dispensaries to be at least 600 feet away from schools, but the measurement is taken from the door of the dispensary to the main door of the school.
Metz said having a dispensary so close makes the school look bad.
“And it’s too bad for our students and our parents and the other people involved,” he said. “We’re very proud of our campus, we have a nice campus and we have nice facilities, but when you look out the window and you can see a pot shop, it’s embarrassing.”
A message left with the owner of the dispensary seeking comment was not returned by deadline.
WATCH: Voiced concerns surrounding cannabis dispensary:
A parent dropping his child off at school said he uses marijuana, but does not want a shop so close to the school.
“I just don’t see why it needs to be that close to a school. What’s the purpose? These are minds, they don’t need to be influenced by that, like, move it down the road,” said Ed Dutra.
“Employees are going to go back and smoke a cigarette, or vape, or smoke their joint, and who’s going to see it or smell it? Our children. And that’s not acceptable in my eyes," Boothe added.
Butte Chief Executive J.P. Gallagher said he could not comment on the issue because of pending litigation by the dispensary against the city.
