The info that you need to find the weed …
With Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont going down in history this past week by signing a bill to effectively legalize recreational cannabis in his state, there’s even more excitement than usual on the New England green scene. And it may not be too bad for Massachusetts sellers; as some purveyors told an NBC affiliate, they actually expect for the move to boost industry sales.
But even with news popping around the region, we need to pay close attention to big developments on the Hub front. We will make it to these and other new shops as soon as possible for interviews and video ops, so check digboston.com for that, but in the meantime here’s the info that you need to find the weed …
Eastie bound
It’s been a year since Berkshire Roots opened up on Meridian Street in East Boston, becoming the city’s second recreational dispensary. For those of us who don’t make it to Eastie enough, it’s been fun heading out there, not just for the outstanding products—Berkshire’s O.G.K.B. 2.0 BX indica badder is one of the deadliest dark and delicious dabs on the market—but for the shops and restaurants in the surrounding community as well. On our last visit, we popped into La Casa Del Pandebono on the corner for some churros and tostones, both of which come in handy for an afternoon of cannabis consumption.
All strains considered, it’s phenomenal that East Boston is now even more of a green destination, with Happy Valley opening a 10,850-square-foot facility at 220 William McClellan Highway, complete with “a stunning 36ft.-wide LCD screen installation that highlights the brand’s products, grow rooms, and extraction processes among other visually captivating content. Other features include expedited check-in and express pick-up lines, educational touch-screens, and expertly educated ‘Hosts’ whose sole focus is a superior customer experience.”
A destination dispensary “located minutes away from Logan Airport,” Happy Valley aims to serve “customers traveling from around the world or right around the corner,” and will offer “a full suite of solventless extracts that range from full spectrum butter to potent 6-star bubble hash, as well as popular cultivars like Super Lemon Haze, Mandarin Cookies, and Peanut Butter Breath, as well as exclusive cultivars like CrescendO Temple and White Wedding, to name a few, across a myriad of consumption options: jarred flower, pre-rolls, cannabis terpene-infused distillate vape oil, solventless sauces and live rosin, tinctures and artisanal gummy and chocolate edibles.”
“If you want to transform how people think about cannabis, then retail is where the rubber meets the road,” Happy Valley CEO Michael Reardon said. “A key component of our brand and growth strategy is to create a premium retail experience for our customers that is modern, immersive, and educational. From the moment you enter the space whether you are a connoisseur, new to cannabis or returning to cannabis after many years, the sole purpose of our store and our staff is to help you unlock your best experience with cannabis.
“Building product excellence and winning consumer trust is essential in any industry, but it is paramount for those of us in the cannabis industry as we expand and become more mainstream in Massachusetts and beyond.”
This is Happy Valley’s second spot; their first dispensary, in Gloucester, is already a fast favorite on the North Shore. Welcome to the area, we’ll see you soon. And for those stopping by between July 1 and July 5, there will be special pricing to celebrate the grand opening—including $6 50mg THC gummies!
Roxbury roots
Meanwhile, across Boston, Rooted in Roxbury received approval for its retail store in Nubian Square, and will now advance to the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals for final approval. And they’re also at the same step in the years-long process for their place on Newbury Street. More from that camp here:
Rooted in Roxbury is a locally owned, Boston Equity business with a unique investment model focused on providing people of color access to the emerging cannabis industry through shares that cost as little as $1,200. To date, the company has secured 43 investors at an average investment of $16,500. Investors are 100% people of color, 51% female, and 100% Boston residents. Its ownership team, Brian and Joanne Keith and Solmon and Rokeya Chowdhury, bring over 20 years of combined experience as small business owners and 30 combined years as community advocates. Their proposal for Nubian Square received support from the Nubian Square Neighborhood Association as well as several businesses and many residents. The proposal also received letters of nonopposition from Mayor Kim Janey’s office and Councilor Annissa Essaibi George.
Citizen Strain/Grain is an amalgamation of a bunch of us who, in addition to the hard and oftentimes depressing journalism we report for the Dig, also enjoy sampling and writing about the various beers, spirits, and cannabis products that vendors from near and far send our way. If you want us to check out your product, please contact us at info@digboston.com.
