SPRINGFIELD – Members of the regional cannabis community have told Reminder Publishing the vendor party that yielded two arrests and the confiscation of 200 pounds of marijuana did not represent a growing movement of local people helping one another with access to marijuana for medical purposes, as well as recreational use.

On Jan. 25, a vendor party was conducted on the third floor of 395 Dwight St., the same building in which the Mardi Gras strip club is housed. The party was not in the confines of the strip club, despite initial media reports.

That night this reporter witnessed how people entering the building were stopped by two men wearing hats with the word “security” on them. They politely inquired if I was going to Smokey Joe’s Cigar Lounge on the second floor.  When I said I was I was allowed to pass.

If not I would have been patted down before allowed to go to the third floor where the vendor event was taking place. There was an entry fee for the event and a check of ID to ensure no one under 21 years of age was admitted.

There was a fairly steady stream of people going up to the event and existing from it.

At about 10 p.m., uniformed Springfield police officers were seen going to the third floor. According to the press release issued by the department: “Members of the Springfield Police Department’s Strategic Impact Unit, under the direction of Lt. Scott Richard and Sgt. Christopher Hitas ,seized approximately 200 lbs. of marijuana and $3,865 in cash on the third floor of the Mardi Gras (395 Dwight St.) Friday night at approximately 10 p.m.

“The Strategic Impact Unit received information there was going to be a marijuana vendor party Friday night at this location. The event was open to the public and approximately 30-40 vendors were set up and about 150 customers were there when undercover Detectives bought marijuana.

“Detectives returned, announced their presence, and arrested the two vendors who sold officers marijuana. During this process many of the customers and vendors left, abandoning their marijuana, which was seized for destruction.”

Two people were arrested. Twenty-four year old Alissa Nowak of Bellingham, MA is charged with: Distribution of a Class D Drug (2 Counts) and Possession with the intent to distribute a Class D Drug. Thirty-five year-old Hemant Shani of the 1100 block of Worcester St. will be charged with: Distribution of a Class D Drug and Possession with the intent to distribute a Class D Drug.

One of the persons who was at the event who spoke on the condition of anonymity said overall, there were hundreds of people at the party. He noted that officers confiscated loose cannabis leaves, but left the edibles, vape pens, oils and other items. The vendors were allowed to leave.

The next morning the entire inventory that had been left was no longer at the venue.

Mayor Domenic Sarno acted quickly to the news of the arrests and his office issued a press release that read, “After early morning hours updates from Commissioner John Barbieri and Licensing Director Atty. Alesia Days, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno has ordered public health, safety and entertainment license hearings on the recent major Springfield Police Department drug raid at the Mardi Gras strip club. Mayor Sarno states, ‘The Mardi Gras establishment will face all appropriate sanctions, all the way up to revocation of any and all licenses.’”

Reminder Publishing contacted Dan Kelly, the attorney for the building owners to ask who had allowed the party to take place. As of press time Kelly has not commented.

As of press time there has not been any announcements about a schedule for hearings about the licenses held by the Mardi Gras.

The source from the cannabis community spoke to Reminder Publishing on Jan. 27, Sunday, and quickly summed up the differences between what they do and what happened at 395 Dwight St.

He explained that people who grow and use cannabis have formed private, membership-driven organizations to exchange cannabis products. He likened it a farmers market.

These events take place in closed areas and the public is not invited. Identification is checked to make sure no minors attend. The exchange of products is accomplished through a donation system, although the source said, “More [cannabis] is given away.”

The event at 359 Dwight St. was open to the public.

What is called “the gift economy” is a growing phenomenon in states where cannabis is legal.  Zach Harris wrote about it on the website Merry Jane (https://merryjane.com) “In Massachusetts and Maine, gift economies have sprung up while state lawmakers bicker over regulations and retail start dates. In fully regulated states like Oregon and Colorado, the same structure can be found on Craigslist, where unlicensed dealers push buds for donation as a way to skirt local laws. In the District of Columbia, though, the gift economy has become an industry.”

The source believes a loophole in the Commonwealth’s legislation allows these activities to be legal.

Despite what may be a grey area of the law, some law enforcement agencies in other states are looking to shut down these events. A long-standing such event in San Diego, CA, was recently raided by police, as noted on Candid Chronicle (https://candidchronicle.com) website.

Reminder Publishing’s source explained that people, especially those using cannabis for medicinal purposes, are seeking answers and information and people working in a medical dispensary “may not have seen a live plant, may not have the best information.”

With these events, members get to meet the people who actually grow the plants, he said.

One person with a chronic condition told this reporter that he has been able to greatly reduce his prescribed use of opioids by smoking marijuana, which has none of the ill effects of the opioids.

The application fees have prevented many experienced growers from applying to the Commonwealth, he said.

“People with knowledge are not getting licenses,” the source asserted.

The people attending local cannabis events range from young people who have turned 21 to greater-grandmothers, he said.

The events are “always peaceful,” he added. “They are very safe places.”

During the interview he noted there were four such events taking place that day in the Pioneer Valley.

Whether or not authorities here would make raiding these events a law enforcement priority is not known. This newspaper has not received an answer from District Attorney Anthony Gulluni by press time.

Ryan Walsh, the public information officer for the Springfield Police Department, said, “The Strategic Impact Unit received information on brazen illegal activity at an event open to the public that could not be ignored and needed to be investigated.  While recreational marijuana is now legal and it has been decriminalized in Massachusetts for a decade this month, most drug related homicides in the city continue to be connected to marijuana.”

Mayor Domenic Sarno made his feelings clear with his statement to Reminder Publishing: “We will also work first with any review/inquiries from District Attorney Anthony Gulluni’s and Attorney General Maura Healey’s Offices pertaining to the criminal intent of this major raid. With this amount of drugs, can you imagine without the proper overall security, technology, public health and safety measures in place, what negative life threatening events that could have occurred, if not for our Springfield Police Department’s/City’s proactive intervention? I have no further comment on law enforcement's continued efforts to eradicate these illegal venues.”    

The bust has had a dampening effect as the source said one such private event planned for the day after the raid was cancelled.

He added the cannabis community here intends to follow how law enforcement moves forward.