On Monday, East Boston’s first retail adult-use marijuana shop opened its doors on Meridian Street, and customers were already lining up to stock up on cannabis products.
“It’s great. Now I don’t have to go all the way to Brookline,” said one resident who will remain nameless. “I ordered fast and easy on the website, and selected my time. Very clean and professional. Very much like going to a bank really. There’s about half a dozen tellers in a small bank/office type setting.”
Western Mass’s Berkshire Roots, Inc.received its final license from the Cannabis Control Commission to open shop at 253 Meridian St. back in June.
Berkshire Roots became only the second adult use shop to open in Boston. Pure Oasis, an adult-use marijuana dispensary located in the Grove Hall neighborhood of Dorchester, opened in March.
“We are expanding our roots and will be bringing the same amazing award winning products, service and experience to Boston that we’ve been providing the Berkshires since 2018,” said Berkshire Roots in a statement. “We are now serving adult-use customers at our brand-new dispensary located on Meridian Street in East Boston.”
The Berkshire Roots team said they are only accepting ‘online’ orders at this time in order to ensure proper social distancing. Customers can order online at https://berkshireroots.com/east-boston/ and select a time slot in order to pick up any cannabis products.
Berkshire Roots received community support from the Eagle Hill Civic Association and was later granted a Conditional Use Permit by the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal last year.
Berkshire Roots is the largest grower of cannabis in Western Massachusetts and was the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Berkshire Roots Meridian Street shop includes 1,400 sq. ft. retail space on the first floor of the building that is a sleek and stylish dispensary with façade improvement and subtle and understated signage.
There will be no cultivation, processing, or packaging on site. There would also be no product consumption on site and the product would not be visible from the street.
There will be a security guard at the front door. When a potential customer enters he or she must present either a valid Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Card or a valid state license or identification card proving the customer is over 21 years of age. Between the front door and the actual dispensary is a locked door. The front door and internal ‘locked’ door are never open at the same time. Once the customer is approved by the security guard an employee inside the dispensary would have to activate a buzzer for the internal door to allow the customer inside.
Aside from paying the city three percent of its sales per quarter, Berkshire Roots also agreed to install security cameras in and around the business and to participate in public safety and beautification initiatives in and around the business.
According to the agreement with the city, there will be no benches or social gathering areas in or around the business and Berkshire Roots agrees to prohibit smoking, vaping or any other form of consumption of marijuana onsite. The company also agrees to share data and reports to the Boston Public Health Commission as well as assist in the dissemination of materials related to public health, public safety and prevention efforts.