A cannabis delivery service that is partnering with one of East Boston’s adult use dispensaries will soon be up and running and bringing marijuana products right to customers’ front doord.
The Boston Cannabis Board (BCB) approved the first “Delivery Operator License” for cannabis delivery within the city limits. The license was granted to local social equity company, Zip Run, at the BCB’s Dec. 15 Board meeting.
Zip Run recently partnered with Berkshire Roots on Meridian Street and will become the state’s first-ever recreational cannabis “delivery-only” retailer. Zip Run was granted a Social Equity Membership from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) and the company’s pre-certification application to legally deliver cannabis in Massachusetts was approved in May. These licenses were only available to social equity applicants in Massachusetts.
Zip Run’s direct-to-consumer cannabis deliveries from its downtown Boston warehouse could begin as early as March 2022. With its new facility, Zip Run will maintain a large selection of cannabis products from top cultivators in the state including flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, pre-rolls, topicals and accessories.
Currently, consumers can order via Zip Run for pick up at Berkshire Roots and nine other dispensary partners in Massachusetts with delivery within the city limits will come after final city approvals of its warehouse located at 1170 William T. Morrissey Blvd, Dorchester.
“This latest approval means that consumers in Boston will soon be able to purchase the broadest array of high-quality cannabis products for delivery from our warehouse with just a click through our online platform,” said CEO and co-founder of Zip Run Gabe Vieira. “We are grateful the Boston Cannabis Board has approved our application allowing Zip Run to pave the way for other entrepreneurs of color to successfully launch cannabis businesses in the Boston area and bring innovation to the industry.”
Vieira said Zip Run’s direct-to-consumer cannabis deliveries from its downtown Boston warehouse could begin as early as March 2022. With its new facility, Zip Run will curate the largest selection of cannabis products from top cultivators in the state including flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, pre-rolls, topicals and accessories. The wholesale delivery model benefits customers since the product selection is larger than can be accommodated in a single store.
With its proprietary e-commerce software, Zip Run will bring new technologies to the cannabis industry in Boston to enhance the pickup and delivery experience. The platform is a one-stop-shop that provides seamless, consumer-friendly ordering of cannabis products.
Vieira grew up in communities of Boston that have been disproportionately affected by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. With help from the CCC, Vieira has become a member of the social equity program, which grants individuals an opportunity to gain ownership within the cannabis industry. One of Vierira’s goals has been to further the CCC efforts by employing and empowering people that are from disproportionate areas to prevent the continuation of an inequitable status quo.
Berkshire Roots became Eastie’s first retail adult-use marijuana shop after receiving its final license from the CCC to open a shop at 253 Meridian St.
The 1,400 sq. ft. retail space on the first floor of a three story building is a sleek and stylish cannabis dispensary with façade improvement and subtle and understated signage.
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.
The company is the largest grower of cannabis in Western Massachusetts and was the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.