GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) — The Greenfield Board of Health voted last night to issue the mandated $5,000 fine and 30 day suspension of Country Mart’s tobacco sales permit after hearing of the business’s fourth egregious offense in a 36 month span.
Located at 49 Main Street, Country Mart’s fourth offense occurred on September 5th of 2024 when Greenfield Public Health Nurse Megan Tudryn found flavored tobacco products, illegal in Massachusetts, on the premises. At that time there was no Board of Health established to hold the hearing required to issue the fine and suspension, or take any further action.
In about 30 days from now the Board of Health will meet again to hold a hearing on the possible revocation of the business’s tobacco sales permit, resulting in the inability to transfer the permit to any other business in town, according to Tudryn. There was some discussion by the business’ representative, Muhammad Hamayun, of selling the business to Hamayun’s son Wahab, which would follow a different process if determined it is a bonafide sale.
Previous offenses include two sales of tobacco products to a minor on April 16th, 2022 and December 16th, 2023 as well as another sale of flavored tobacco products on July 26th, 2024. The confiscated product recovered on the fourth offense contained a tax stamp that showed the products were obtained out of state, in South Carolina. Flavored tobacco products have been banned in Massachusetts since November 2019 and a federal ban was placed on them in 2009.