Some councilors would support cannabis lounges if cigar bars return, too
February 9, 2026
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The grass may soon be a little greener in New Bedford.
Local politicos are hashing out their differences over a new way to increase a pot of tax revenue: pot. Cannabis consumption lounges are legal in Massachusetts, as of 2026, and New Bedford’s City Council has a hankering to lighten the tax load.
“Lounges can create jobs,” said Ian Abreu, longtime councilor. “They can attract visitors and tourists who want social cannabis spaces… [and] local tax revenue from hospitality and cannabis licensing can help our city budget.”
The City Council’s normally crossed left and right wings have aligned behind a cautious optimism that cannabis lounges, with the proper regulations, could be pretty dope.
“In short, yes,” said Ward 3 Councilor Shawn Oliver, adding that, “any decision should be made with community input and careful consideration of zoning, health, and safety standards.”
Councilor Shane Burgo staked out similar ground: “My approach would be to evaluate a proposal carefully rather than take a blanket position in advance,” he said. “I remain open to continued discussion.”
But it’s not all copacetic.
Mayor Jon Mitchell, in a statement made through his public information officer, wasn’t so high on the idea: “I am skeptical that residents would welcome cannabis lounges into their neighborhoods,” he said. “With the legal availability of marijuana in Massachusetts, there is ample opportunity for private consumption that does not affect neighborhood quality of life.”
The highest hurdle, however, may not have anything to do with marijuana. Several city councilors — most vocally Ward 5’s Joe Lopes — are tying their support to cannabis lounges to re-allowing tobacco lounges and cigar bars. Lopes said he would support a “one-to-one” permitting policy that exactly balances the number of cannabis and tobacco joints in New Bedford.
“There’s no reason to allow one, but not the other,” Lopes said.
The Board of Health’s stand against tobacco
New Bedford has no cigar bars or tobacco lounges today, and that’s because of the city’s Board of Health.
Within its published tobacco regulations, the Board of Health created restrictions that include: limiting the types of allowable nicotine products, prohibiting the sale of tobacco to anyone under 21 years old, and outright banning tobacco-smoking bars.
The board in recent years has made concerted efforts to discourage the use of tobacco, nicotine, and alcohol among the city’s youth. On its website, the board’s substance use prevention program outlines dual goals for tobacco prevention, “to reduce the flow of tobacco and nicotine products to underage youth and to prevent harmful use overall.”
The reasons for doing so are well-established. Cigarette smoking and secondhand smoke exposure cause more than 480,000 deaths in the U.S. every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and more than 16 million Americans are living with a smoking-related disease. The American Cancer Society found that smoking causes about 20% of all cancers and about 30% of all cancer deaths in the U.S.
Using marijuana likewise contains risks, according to the CDC and Massachusetts’ Cannabis Control Commission, including for heart health, brain function, mental health, and — when inhaled via smoking — lung health, too.
The Board of Health’s three members did not return The Light’s requests for comment.
A number of city councilors said they would tie their support for cannabis lounges to the loosening of the Board of Health’s cigar bar policy. Lopes, Oliver, and Ward 2 Councilor Scott Pemberton all specifically hung their support for cannabis lounges on changing the tobacco policy. Abreu, Burgo, and Council President Ryan Pereira also cited other “considerations” or “proper regulations” without specifically naming cigar bars.
Of the councilors who responded, only James Roy unequivocally supported cannabis lounges. Four councilors did not respond to a request for comment: Derek Baptiste, Naomi Carney, Leo Choquette, and Brian Gomes.
Entangling the cannabis issue with tobacco could make the path forward a little more hazy.
What safety regulations would consumption lounges follow?
In December, the state’s Cannabis Control Commission legalized cannabis lounges, or “social consumption” sites, in cities and towns that opt in. Its new regulatory framework took effect Jan. 2. The rules allow existing cannabis dispensaries, new establishments, and temporary pop-ups to seek a permit for on-site cannabis consumption. The regulations also impose some fairly strict controls.
Top of mind for many in New Bedford is road safety around these lounges. Every consumption lounge would be required to build “a transportation strategy with local public safety partners’ input,” according to the CCC. The news website Axios Boston described a regulation for “mandatory rideshare plans.”
Cannabis lounges will not be allowed to sell alcohol. Employees must undergo trainings that focus on impairment recognition — basically, not letting someone get behind the wheel when stoned.
All menu items would also include projected times for onset of intoxication.
The CCC requires cities and towns to design social equity standards to encourage “participation in the regulated marijuana industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement,” according to its website.
For the first three years of social consumption, only applicants whose businesses are 51% owned by social equity participants can apply for licenses, The Light previously reported. The CCC offers business training to social equity applicants.
City councilors said they’d ensure even higher standards based on neighborhood input and health standards. Burgo, for example, outlined the requirements and processes he would pursue before approving an establishment: “Important factors would include neighborhood impact, public safety, enforcement capacity, zoning and location, equity considerations, and whether a proposed model aligns with the character and needs of our city. I would also want to hear from residents, public safety officials, and other stakeholders before making a final determination.”
Others, like Oliver, believe that publicly accessible and regulated consumption lounges would decrease complaints about public smoking. “Providing dedicated, regulated locations could help reduce use in public spaces and promote responsible behavior,” he said.
It’s an opportunity for New Bedford’s councilors to pursue an equity-minded and budget-conscious development, all rolled up in the same policy.
For New Bedford, it may be a chance to turn a new leaf.
Email Colin Hogan at chogan@newbedfordlight.org
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