On her first day working in Brookline, Forest Steinberg suited up with gloves and a garbage bag, ready to pick up discarded bottles and soggy wrappers outside her company’s Beacon Street storefront.

None of the litter came from Steinberg’s company, Sanctuary Medicinals — in fact, the recreational marijuana retailer hasn’t even opened yet.

But with some in town protesting Sanctuary’s location and calling for tighter controls on Brookline’s marijuana retailers, Steinberg couldn’t wait to get working on community engagement.

“Engagement I think is the biggest key for us as Sanctuary, no matter where we’re at, whether it’s New Hampshire or Massachusetts, small town or big town,” said Steinberg, who also serves as dispensary manager for Sanctuary’s medical-only New Hampshire locations.

“If you’re within a community, you want to become part of the community. They’re not only hosting you there, but you’re seeing people who live maybe next door, above you, down the street,” she added. “And by being involved, you’re learning more about where you’re working.”

Sanctuary, at 1351 Beacon St., is still some ways from opening its doors to adult-use marijuana customers. The Select Board approved its final license in August, but the retailer must receive a “commence operations” notice from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission before it can begin selling.

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Sanctuary’s road to opening day has not been without debate. More than once, dozens of protesters have gathered outside Sanctuary’s Coolidge Corner storefront, calling on the retailer to reconsider its location. And on Nov. 19, Town Meeting will consider three warrant articles that could cut back on adult-use retailers’ hours of operation and require an appointment-only business model.

“I think a lot of people would say it’s probably something that isn’t welcoming,” Steinberg said of the buzz around Sanctuary. “In my opinion, I believe it is. It means they’re fighting for their community, and that gives us the opportunity to fight alongside them and with them, and to hear them out and continue moving forward with helping the community.”

Recent discussions about recreational marijuana in Brookline have centered on neighborhood complaints in Brookline Village, home of the town’s sole operational retailer, New England Treatment Access. On Nov. 19, Town Meeting will also vote to appropriate a portion of NETA’s community impact fee to address complaints ranging from litter to parking to public consumption.

In Coolidge Corner, Steinberg is hoping to preempt those kinds of concerns.

“As the brand ambassador for the Brookline location, that is one of the first things I’m going to take care of,” she said. “We’re going to be constantly aware of what’s going on around us and making sure we’re on top of it, rather than just waiting for it to happen.”

In addition to picking up litter outside the store, Steinberg also hopes to bring more Sanctuary team members in and get them engaged with the community, whether through local events or non-profit organizations.

“If we’re in Brookline, let’s bring Brookline into what we’re doing,” she said, adding, “We are always giving back to the community, we’re always looking to be kind of just entwined in the community.”

Most importantly, she wants neighbors to know that Sanctuary is more than just a business.

“I like to tell people essentially we’re that mom and pop shop-style atmosphere,” she said. “We started in New Hampshire, we’re all local, and we came into this for personal reasons. It wasn’t just to create a business.”

Sanctuary, Steinberg said, will do its part to be a good neighbor in Brookline.

“We have open ears. We want to be a part of this community as much as anyone else does,” she said. “That’s why we chose it.”