If the pandemic winds down as hoped this summer, Red Sox fans streaming toward Fenway Park on game days may notice something new in the neighborhood: three recreational marijuana stores within blocks of the park, including two approved last month by Boston zoning officials.
The planned shops are part of a wave of nearly 200 cannabis retailers moving through the state licensing pipeline, many clustered around major destinations. Pot businesses are lining up to open in Provincetown, around TD Garden and nearby historic sites in downtown Boston, near large universities, and other popular spots that routinely attract tens of thousands of visitors.