The NisonCo team had an incredible time at Flower Expo in Greenfield, Massachusetts, connecting with dozens of inspiring leaders in the New England cannabis community.
There’s plenty of action in the Massachusetts cannabis industry these days: Lawmakers are considering changing the two-driver rule to allow cannabis delivery companies to serve customers with one driver per order instead of two; Martha’s Vineyard dispensaries are scrambling to supply their customers after the State banned the transport of cannabis via boat; and the Cannabis Control Commission (CCC) put Flower Expo Massachusetts attendees on edge pre-show when it issued a bulletin to remind license-holders of the rules surrounding cannabis gifts and samples.
NisonCo Content Director Marissa Black-Smith collected 2024 Massachusetts industry expertise via interviews with professionals in the field — specifically, in Greenfield. Read on for firsthand accounts from industry leaders about the current state of cannabis in MA and predictions for its future.
What cannabis products are selling the best in Massachusetts? Have you noticed any larger cannabis consumer trends?
Growing Awareness of Cannabis Edibles for Wellness
“…edibles are emerging as a new trend. Specifically, rationed edibles, such as where you have the 1:1:1 CBN, CBD and THC. We have a lot of edibles that are 20:1. So 20mg CBD to 1mg THC, and even that’s doing really well for us. It’s fascinating to see how consumers are going from just using weed to get high to actually using it to treat medicinal conditions and look for specific effects that they didn’t know they could get. ”
— Ruben Seyde, Founder and CEO of Delivered, Inc.
“The big ones are gummies [for] nursing home residents and older people. I see a huge demand from people who can’t sleep, so CBN gummies have been a big boon for us. To me, even in recreational stores, people are coming to treat something.”
— Frank Dailey, CEO of Boston Bud Factory
“Ingestibles like edibles and baked items are a rising trend. There is a whole market that is growing with new adopters and new consumers in the space who will be looking at beverages and edibles as their primary consumption method.”
— Ben Kenison, Sales Director of Infused Element
The Importance of High-Quality, Innovative Cannabis
“As time goes on, especially in the concentrate realm, there’s a growing hash market out there. People love to see the solventless form of concentrate. Everyone’s trying to have the purest rip possible.”
— Angelo Mazzella, Field Marketing Manager of The Heirloom Collective
“Hash rosin is becoming a popular process inside of the cannabis industry… Getting that full-spectrum experience, getting the higher-quality extractions into the edibles and the drinks, and giving people that full spectrum feeling. It’s cleaner, solventless, and there’s no real chemical activation that happens with the cannabis, so you’re getting the best quality experience [possible].”
— Ezra Bleau, COO of Infused Element
The Popularity of Sustainable Cannabis Packaging
“Every state seems to have a pocket, place, or community that vibes with sustainability. I think there’s a higher concentration [in Massachusetts.] I don’t know if it’s a coastal thing, maybe because you see so much ocean-bound plastic. Obviously, it’s a beautiful area of the country, so that might play a role in it. It might just be the ethos amongst the population here that they have a slightly higher willingness to pay and desire sustainable packaging.”
— Ron Basak-Smith, CEO of Sana Packaging
The Importance of Cannabis Price Points
“I can’t even say there’s a trend because the data surprises me every day. One day, vapes are the top seller; another day, it’s pre-rolls; another day, it’s flower. The trends are very, very surprising. So, I have not been able to draw any conclusions from the trends. But the one trend I do know that’s consistent is that people want high-quality products at a convenient price.”
— Christopher Fevry, CEO and Co-Founder of Dris Delivery
The Connection Between Cannabis and Community
“It seemed like [on 4/20] this year the consumer was less interested in the largest discount… I think that a lot of customers were looking for more experiences. This is a bit anecdotal, but we saw some of our retail customers do unbelievable numbers, and we noticed that most of them had done a really enjoyable, fun, entertaining event at their dispensary that day.”
— Rick Bashkoff, General Manager and Operating Partner of Lit Alerts
“People will tell you all the time that we’re the only place they’ll shop because of what we do in the community. You know we all carry similar products. Right now, price compression is a thing, so everybody’s competing on pricing. We’re one of the only dispensaries in Massachusetts that offer a deli-style experience, which means that the product is in glass jars; you can smell it, you can see it, and we’ll weigh it out right in front of you. You can say you want $5 worth, or you can say you want up to an ounce. We’ll handpick the buds for you right out of the jar and send you on your way.”
— Scott Winters, Director of Business Development and Community Outreach for CNA Stores
The Impossibility of Forecasting Trends
“When we first opened, it was shocking because our number-one seller was edibles, which, like, who does that, right? But that was our number-one seller. There’s a large portion of elderly people [near our dispensary], so they love their edibles. They don’t feel like they’re smoking weed, so that’s how they like to consume. But now, as we’ve grown into ourselves, gotten comfortable in the space and really worked it out, we sell predominantly flower. For us, bulk is where it’s at because more people buy ounces than come in for eighths.”
— Marie Fonseca, Operations Director for Great Barrington Dispensary
“On a monthly basis, this industry is always changing. It’s like working in dog years. I’ve been doing this for nine years, but it feels like it’s been 30 or 40 years. It’s wild. With the market shifting almost monthly, consumer trends are going to change. We’d been selling a lot of vapes for one year, and now it’s pre-ground quarters and ounces. Those are picking up steam now.”
— Michael Kochekian, General Manager of Zahara Cannabis
NisonCo Content Director Marissa Black-Smith interviews Zahara Cannabis General Manager Michael Kochekian at Flower Expo in Greenfield, MA on June 6, 2024.
How do you feel about potential legislative changes in the Massachusetts cannabis industry?
“I’m 100% percent for [the shift to a single delivery driver.] Not only is it safe, it will help our business significantly. We’ll be able to double our delivery zone and expand into Boston, a more lucrative market we can’t service right now. We already have the assets in place to use the entire team in a bigger capacity. It’s just the regulations that are limiting how fast we can grow into that. In terms of safety, I am not at all concerned. We’ve never had any safety issues.”
— Ruben Seyde, Founder and CEO of Delivered, Inc
“I’ve been very involved in lobbying for the change from two to one drivers. We’re happy to see the change voted forward. We’re all hoping that it goes into effect very soon. It’s going to save the delivery operators. The biggest reason why many delivery companies are struggling is because of the two-driver rule. It will make operating the business so much easier and just put social equity operators in a position to win.”
— Christopher Fevry, CEO and Co-Founder of Dris Delivery
Can you speak about the importance of education in the cannabis industry? Where do we stand?
“The more we can educate the consumer and the public on [the real importance of THC and terpenes] and the more we can switch the narrative from THC being the predominant thing that gives you your potency to the terpenes, which give you more of the taste, the smell, and the effects, [the better]. We’ll be able to narrow down effects more and help the consumer find something that’s more catered to them.”
— Angelo Mazzella, Field Marketing Manager of The Heirloom Collective
“The consumer is getting more and more knowledge every day. They’re all looking for solventless; they care now. They know the difference between distillate and rosin and all that kind of stuff… they really pay attention to the testing, and they want to know that it doesn’t have chemicals.”
— Marie Fonseca, Operations Director for Great Barrington Dispensary
As members of the cannabis industry, how do we balance the need to make a profit with staying true to our roots?
Community-Centered Approaches
“I think just stay connected with the community as much as you can, try to give back… For us, we try to give a lot of staff incentives to help motivate people. And I think while you want to give to your community, you also want to make sure that you’re taking care of your staff as much as you can. Your staff is a community. So that’s what we try to do, and that’s the advice we give to everyone else… just making life at your company as smooth as possible is something that you can really do to help your community.”
— Christopher Fevry, CEO and Co-Founder of Dris Delivery
“That’s something that the industry, I think, is really battling right now. I think, most importantly, at a core level, it’s just care. Caring about the people in the industry, those we’re working with, and the products that you’re putting out. Because that’s going to get us to a better place.”
— Ron Basak-Smith, CEO of Sana Packaging
“I’m Berkshires born and raised. So, we made an effort to open up a business and employ people from the Berkshires. That’s my roots. Since we’ve opened, I have watched half a dozen of my employees buy homes, start families, and get married. I’ve been there for my employees and I want to continue to be there for my employees no matter what happens… So, if you really want to look at how to stay connected, I still get behind the cash machines. I still get behind the registers. I still interact with customers. I help where I’m needed… You can’t ask somebody to do something that you otherwise would not be seen doing… If you get called to bat, you bat. So that’s how I stay true to my roots.”
— Nathan Girard, Co-Owner and CEO of Bloom Brothers Dispensary
“[We can connect with our roots by] telling that story of the legacy. Part of the Izzy and Ezra brand that we have is connecting the legacy market, old school, making butter and brownies in your kitchen, doing the baked goods that we all remember and then also bringing that to the to the future…To be able to give back to the Holyoke community just completes the circle.”
— Ben Kenison, Sales Director of Infused Element
“We have done toy drives in the past… We sponsor a 5k every year and all proceeds go to the food bank. So I think this year we served over a thousand meals to people. It’s huge to be able to help out the community in that regard. We’re here to help, we’re here to make sure that everyone’s having fun, and we’re here to get everyone high, you know?”
— Angelo Mazzella, Field Marketing Manager of The Heirloom Collective
Business-Centered Strategies
“I think we have to honor our roots by understanding that, at the end of the day, cannabis — I hate to say it — is a commodity. You can honor the roots all you want to, but at the end of the day, you have to adapt to the mass market. And if you’re not doing that, you’re going to get left behind. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that that’s happening right now with the legacy market… And at the end of the day, we’re here for [the customers]… You know, I can be all OG all that I want, but my consumers don’t care about that. They care about getting high, having a good time, and soothing their aches and pains. If I’m not catering or giving them what they need, they’re just going to go to someone else who is.”
— Ruben Seyde, Founder and CEO of Delivered, Inc
“It’s 2024. We need to embrace automation to run more efficiently… if we can decrease costs while at the same time, hopefully getting some help on the top end from our elected officials and our powerful advocacy groups, I think that’s when [we can make the biggest difference.] Those two things coming together makes for a much more profitable industry while maintaining the fact that we are focused on ourselves, our companies, focused on things that we can control.”
— Rick Bashkoff, General Manager and Operating Partner of Lit Alerts
What are your predictions for the cannabis industry, either locally in Massachusetts or nationwide?
The Wait for Social Consumption
“Our goal is to get it to social consumption. So we’re looking forward to Massachusetts releasing the regulations for that so we can start that rotation because our products are made for that. That’s maybe the next dispensary distribution point: social consumption lounges.”
— Isaias Rosario, CEO of Infused Element
“I think we’re going to see the need for more and more delivery-type stuff. I think that is a business of the future. I also am hoping to see social consumption. But with both of those things being said, the regulators are the ones that are really kind of hindering those two business plans.”
— Scott Winters, Director of Business Development and Community Outreach for CNA Stores
“You’re going to see more and more people gravitating to the traditional type of things like the brownie…The bigger guys have made all these products but haven’t covered the basic things that people want. So I think that you’ll start seeing craft players start to pick away at some of that market share by bringing in products that are new and innovative… I think you’re going to see [changes in] the experience. I think the experience needs to come back to — first of all — consumption. We need places that we can consume responsibly.”
— Frank Dailey, CEO of Boston Bud Factory
The Embattled Hemp/Cannabis Divide
“I think all of the infighting between hemp and cannabis is going to be a distant memory within 12 to 18 months. And I think anyone who’s focused on it right now should most likely try their best to focus towards the eventual future… because it’s the same plant. And look, I’m on the same page as everyone as it relates to synthetics: Not a fan. But if you’re naturally deriving cannabis compounds from a hemp plant or a marijuana plant, I think it’s all fair game. And I would love to see everyone embrace the different form factors where it makes the most sense.”
— Rick Bashkoff, General Manager and Operating Partner of Lit Alerts
Market Growing Pains
““The industry’s at an inflection point. I think there’s definitely some tough decisions that we’ll have to make as an industry. I hope that the Cannabis Control Commission takes into account the long-term view of the industry and how to protect it. These decisions also need to be made quickly because delays only cause more irreversible damage. I think if we are able to move quickly we can bring the industry to a great place and be an example for the entire country.”
— Christopher Fevry, CEO and Co-Founder of Dris Delivery
“There are a lot of people who are penny-wise, pound foolish, trying to save. I get it. The market is up and down like any other economic business; you have to pick and choose your battles… My prediction for Massachusetts is my prediction for every other market: be pragmatic about your approach. Don’t just throw different things against the wall because the market is expanding quickly. There’s going to be a lot of competition… Be sensitive to when you see it plateauing at some point in time because we are going to have supply and demand issues.”
— David Ellerstein, Co-Founder of Plant Life Company
Oversaturation and Price Compression in the Market
“The Massachusetts market, we went through a thing where there were lots of price drops, lots of over-saturation and now I think the market’s tightening up a bit, and it’s looking like the cream rises to the top, and the good ones are going to do really good and the bad ones are going to go away.”
— Marie Fonseca, Operations Director for Great Barrington Dispensary
“I think this year in Massachusetts, you’re going to see a much steeper decline in the price of cannabis. I think because there are so many growers, wholesale cannabis is… already at the bottom of price compression. I think consumers are starting to realize [that]. Retailers are willing to sacrifice margins to bring a customer in.”
— Nathan Girard, Co-Owner and CEO of Bloom Brothers Dispensary
“I love the trend in prices. The more affordable weed gets, the bigger demand is going to be… While this price compression is painful for some players, it is really going to help open up the market and make it more modernized instead of just what it’s been. So that’s something I’m really excited about. I’m really seeing it here, and I think it’s going to be a great year of growth in the industry despite the heartache that some people might suffer.”
— Ruben Seyde, Founder and CEO of Delivered, Inc
An Opinion We Can Back 100%
“People are going to keep smoking weed.”
— Ron Basak-Smith, CEO of Sana Packaging
Team members from NisonCo and longtime client Sana Packaging connected for a great group photo at Flower Expo in Greenfield, MA on June 5, 2024.
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It was a joy to talk to so many influential figures in the cannabis industry and interview a handful of them during our time at Flower Expo Massachusetts 2024.
For more information about how our PR services can help you grow your brand through participation in exciting cannabis events, contact NisonCo today. We can help you start preparing for your next cannabis event today, too: Take a look at our lists of cannabis conferences sorted by date and by location, and read through our guide to attending cannabis events. We look forward to seeing you at a future cannabis conference, expo or event!
