BOSTON, May 3, 2021 – PRESS RELEASE – Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc., a multistate cannabis operator, announced the opening of its flagship downtown Boston cannabis dispensary. The opening marks AWH's first retail location in Massachusetts and the first adult-use dispensary to operate in the downtown Boston area.
Located at 272 Friend St. in the center of downtown Boston, the dispensary was designed to create a unique and compelling shopping experience for adult-use customers. Strategically situated near Faneuil Hall and steps away from TD Garden, the location offers Boston residents easy access to a vast array of high-quality cannabis products. The store will carry a highly curated product assortment including AWH-owned brands Ozone and Ozone Reserve, which are manufactured at the company's MassGrow Tier – 11 cultivation center in Athol.
"We are thrilled to officially open our flagship cannabis dispensary strategically located in the heart of downtown Boston," AWH founder and CEO Abner Kurtin said. "The first of three dispensaries planned across Massachusetts, the new location will dramatically improve consumer access to high-quality cannabis products in Boston. Our new store is dedicated to educating consumers and providing them with best-in-class retail experiences to change the way people in Massachusetts think about cannabis."
Andrea Cabral, CEO of Ascend Massachusetts, an AWH subsidiary, said, "We're eager to introduce our Boston-based customers to an entirely new, state-of-the-art cannabis retail experience based on innovation and education. We value our city and respect our community. Our compliance record and relationships reflect that. We are running professional retail operations and are deeply committed to bettering the lives of our customers and the communities we serve. The exceptional customer service that is central to our mission will be displayed by a team that reflects our city. Our goal for Ascend is to create a model of what's possible in the cannabis industry and our valued staff will be testament to that."
AWH is committed to social equity and equal opportunities across all levels of employment, from directors to retail associates, and has built a diverse team to operate its Boston dispensary. The company has proudly partnered with the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to cannabis criminal justice reform, as part of its social equity and corporate responsibility initiative. AWH has matched the $125,000 total raised in customer donations ahead of the July 2021 goal.
This location development was managed by the Andrus Group, a project management firm bringing retail experience to the cannabis space. AWH and the Andrus Group team partnered with F-R-O-M Architecture to craft a footprint that will bring innovation and education together for a shopping experience focused on wellness and inclusivity. The team adapted a palette of traditional building materials to the site, generating an innovative look. Custom zinc panels soften the transition between the new fluted glass blocks and the historic brick façade while allowing natural light to permeate the interiors. Other custom features, including backlit display cases, security kiosks and a patterned oak floor in the sales area, complement an exquisite branding experience.
Ascend offers online pre-ordering and dispensary pickup. Learn more information about products and place orders at www.letsascend.com.
