EASTHAMPTON – The Easthampton Planning Board isn’t just blowing smoke about wanting to support the city’s budding retail cannabis industry.

In a joint public hearing with the City Council’s Ordinance Committee, the board voted to recommend to the council a change in the city’s ordinances that would permit retail marijuana establishments to open earlier than the current allowed time of 10 a.m.

Stephen Reilly, general counsel for INSA, which proposed the ordinance change, told the board the move would be a benefit to the company and its patrons, who have had to adjust to COVID-19 restrictions over the past several months.

“We feel it gives us a competitive advantage with other locations in the area,” he said. “The other important part of this is we sell medical products, so we have medical patients that are limited as well. We just think offering that earlier time would be beneficial.”

INSA’s Easthampton store is located at 122 Pleasant St., and is currently open from 10 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. daily for pickup of online orders only. INSA’s location in Salem already has an earlier opening time of 7 a.m. Its Springfield medical dispensary also opens at 10 a.m.

Reilly said crime statistics have dropped in the area since the Easthampton establishment opened, suggesting expanded hours would not create an adverse impact. When later asked by board member James Zarvis about unauthorized on-site consumption, Reilly said the company had not observed any. He added the property is covered by camera surveillance and security does regular sweeps of the area, including the parking lot.

“We’re proud of the track record we have there. We haven’t seen issues,” he said. “Based on our experience in Salem, we don’t anticipate that the earlier times are going to generate issues but we think it will be something that will help not just INSA but any cannabis business in Easthampton because ultimately this business is going to become a lot of municipalities competing for attention from consumers and an earlier start time does put Easthampton and the businesses in Easthampton at a competitive advantage to some other locations.”

The motion passed with board member Brenda Salyer casting the only dissenting vote. City Councilors Salem Derby and Thomas Peake were present but did not have a need to take any action at the hearing.

Salyer suggested after the vote that the recommendation should include her minority opinion. City Planner Jeffrey Bagg said as part of the report, he could include whatever questions or concerns were raised during the meeting, but cautioned against adding more that was not addressed during the meeting. After discussion, board members agreed Salyer could give her dissenting opinion directly to the City Council, provided she specify that while she is a Planning Board member, her statements represented her own opinions and not those of the board.

Prior to the ordinance discussion, the Planning Board also approved an application for a special permit for Aprical, a retail marijuana store proposed for 102 Northampton St., the location of the former Cernak Buick, which closed in February after 80 years in business.

While Aprical had proposed operating hours of 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., because of the anticipated ordinance vote, the board agreed to alter the application to allow the business to operate during all approved hours. Kot Kasom, minority owner and CEO, told the Planning Board the company would only need the hours requested in the application for the time being.