ST. LOUIS – Traffic lines up along South Broadway as Lift for Life Academy ends its school day. At the same time, people pull into the Kind Goods Marijuana Dispensary across the street.
“I don’t like the idea. Weed dispensaries should be no where near the school in any way, shape, form, or fashion. It’s advertising to the high schoolers,” parent Shaluv Jones said.
The dispensary is now approved to add a new service for its customers. St. Louis signed off on a permit for the location to add a drive-through.
“I don’t think they should have a drive-through next to the school. Why couldn’t you put it somewhere else? Why does it have to be right across the street from the school where you have high school, elementary, and a middle school?” grandparent Maimoona Cooper said.
Every parent FOX 2 spoke with Tuesday had concerns about the drive-thru. But when the Board of Public Services went to vote on Oct. 1, there was no discussion when the board asked for questions or comments. It passed when the board took one vote that encompassed multiple conditional use permits at the same time.
“In high school, the kids go off (campus) for lunch. Easy access. They can get somebody to go get drugs for them if need be. We already have a drug problem in Missouri,” Cooper said.
The school protested this dispensary before it ever opened because the city loosened distance requirements, allowing for marijuana dispensaries to open near schools. When the plans for the drive-thru came up earlier, the school wanted to work out an agreement with Kind Goods to have the drive-through closed down during school pick-up and drop-off.
The executive director for Lift for Life declined an interview but said he is disappointed with the approval of this permit and no black-out window in place. Now, parents and grandparents are discussing how to keep their kids away from it.
“We try to keep our kids from all of that. They’re going to do what they’re going to do when they get older, but right now, they don’t need to be exposed to all of that,” parent Lenora Adams said.
The co-founder and chief legal officer for Kind Goods declined an interview.
