Wegmans removed copies of Baltimore Style magazine's marijuana edition from its shelves, but it hasn't stopped selling them completely.
The grocery stores moved the August copies of the magazine behind the store service desks after receiving complaints from customers about the cover story -- "Women on Weed" -- which discusses the increasing acceptance of marijuana use.
The reporter, Betsy Boyd, quotes several local woman, using partial names, who discuss their regular marijuana use.
The story also includes a recipe for "Covert Cookies," ginger crisps with marijuana.
"We had a few customers upset," said Rita Gibney, store manager at the Hunt Valley store on Saturday. "They were upset about the content, about the article."
Gibney said all Wegmans that carry the magazine have decided to relocate the editions. The store has never stopped selling a magazine completely, she said.
A spokesperson at Wegmans headquarters in Rochester, N.Y. could not be reached for comment on Saturday.
"We still want people to have a choice," said Gibney, explaining that the store at times has moved magazines behind the service desk after customers expressed complaints about "too revealing" covers.
Style Editor-In-Chief Jessica Bizik said she's received more praise than complaints from readers for exploring the issue.
"I'm really proud that local women wanted to talk about pot, that women had the courage to step up and voice their opinions about something that is controversial," she said.
Bizik said she believes the magazine readers can decide what is appropriate for their homes, whether that means using the article to start a dialogue with their family or whether to keep it away from teenagers.
She said the recipe might have been the biggest point of contention. She felt it provided more context to the story but didn't believe readers would feel compelled to use it.
Bizik said she planned to call the store locations to ask for any "feedback or questions they may have for me. I'm also happy to explain to readers exactly how/where to purchase the magazine at Wegmans locations."
Bizik said no other companies have reported complaints about the issue.