The first dispensary of its kind | Morning Newsletter
Philly’s deathcare enthusiasts want to bring back the shroud
The Morning Newsletter
Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter
It looks like we’ll have a cloudy and rainy day with a high of 50. The good news is that it should be clear by tomorrow when a lot of us will be traveling for Thanksgiving.
Speaking of Thanksgiving, I want to know your turkey day memories while in the city. It could be anything from a messy travel mishap to a wholesome family moment. 📮 Email me your Philly story for a chance to be featured in tomorrow’s newsletter.
Our lead story today focuses on a new Camden cannabis dispensary inside a neighborhood pharmacy.
— Taylor Allen (@TayImanAllen, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)
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The Camden Apothecary opened with a soft launch Monday for elected officials and business leaders, making it one of about 50 adult-use cannabis retailers in New Jersey.
It is believed to be the first dispensary for medical and recreational marijuana in New Jersey to be inside a pharmacy, according to Anthony V. Minniti, the owner and operator of Bell Rexall Pharmacy.
How it works: The dispensary operates in its own section within the pharmacy. Customers can order online and pick up in a secured area in the store where they must show identification. Home-delivery options within a 25-mile radius will be available in about a week. Camden residents get a 5% discount on cannabis products and 25% off paraphernalia and merchandise.
Note: Camden has two cannabis dispensaries, and two more have been approved to open in the near future.
Click here for a peek inside.
A group of strangers gathered on a recent Sunday to learn how to shroud, part of a growing “death-positive” movement in Philly.
The idea that death and dying can be part of life and does not have to be handled by walled-off specialists in expensive facilities has gained traction in recent years. These deathcare enthusiasts want to demystify and de-commercialize the end of life.
Many were drawn to the workshop by fliers posted around the city that read “Yes, you heard that right! ‘Shroud’ as in wrapping a dead body for burial.” The free event at the MAAS building promised a shrouding demonstration on a live human, and it also served as the first meeting of a nascent “deathcare volunteer group,” which has aims to help Philadelphians who cannot afford funeral costs prepare and bury their loved ones.
Notable quote: “I really want Philadelphia to be a death-positive hub on the East Coast,” said Isabel Knight, 29, the president of the National Home Funeral Alliance and the workshop’s organizer.
Knight’s vision is to have the grassroots group wash and shroud the dead for free, and perhaps transport bodies in personal vehicles with burial permits to cemeteries.
Read more for a recap of the workshop.
What you should know today
SEPTA and transit police resumed negotiations on Monday, but a strike is still possible.
The two unions that represent SEPTA Regional Rail conductors and engineers voted to authorize a strike if they can’t reach an agreement with the transit agency on a new contract.
Baristas at the Starbucks at the 39th and Walnut Street location are the latest Philly Starbucks location to launch a union effort.
Philly school bathrooms take on average 50 days to get fixed. Students explain what that’s like from the inside.
Former Delaware County District Attorney Kat Copeland announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania attorney general Monday.
As Democrats struggle with messaging on the economy, Sen. Bob Casey is trying to redirect blame for expensive grocery bills from the federal government to corporations. He has two reports out this month on “greedflation” and argues that corporations are price gouging in the face of record profits.
A well-known bike crash attorney in Philly is soliciting for potential witness to crack the Kelly Oubre Jr. case.
“Queer Eye” stylist Carson Kressley will reunite the original Fab Five with a Lehigh Valley live show.
🧠 Trivia time
What are the names of this year’s White House pardoned turkeys?
Hint: The names are Pennsylvania-themed.
A) Ben and Franklin
B) Susquehanna and River
C) Liberty and Bell
D) None of the above
Think you know? Check your answer.
What we’re...
💭 Wondering: What will happen to the Meglio Furs sign that was on Broad Street in South Philly?
👀 Watching: Microsoft hired two executives from the company that created ChatGPT after one of them was abruptly fired by OpenAI.
🧩 Unscramble the anagram
Hint: Run before your Thanksgiving meal 🦃
TRYOUT TREK
Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Kathy Houck, who correctly guessed Monday’s answer: Patti LaBelle.
Photo of the day
And that’s all I have for you this morning. Stay warm out there 👋🏽
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