Chamber Member Spotlight: Ethos Cannabis Looking to the Future

Ethos Cannabis opened its Fitchburg location on Halloween day in 2020 and is already looking to expand.

The location is ideal, business is strong and the overall cannabis market is growing, said Alex Hardy, president of the Ethos Massachusetts market.

“Sales are building every day,’’ he said. “Word is getting out. Our reputation as a quality cultivator and knowledgeable staff is getting out there.’’

Ethos Cannabis has locations in Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

The Fitchburg site, located on Route 31 just off Route 2, is an adult-use dispensary, meaning it is open to anyone 21 and older. It’s also a cultivation, processing and cultivation site. Hardy said they are looking to add a medical license to Fitchburg location as well.

Ethos currently sells products from a number of different cultivators throughout Massachusetts and its own product line. Its own product line – flower strains and pre-rolls, is only available at the Ethos locations.

Hardy said business is booming as the stigma of cannabis is going away, particularly in Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts has been one of the leading markets and most progressive markets on the East Coast,’’ Hardy said. “Massachusetts in a lot of ways has led the way.’’

In Massachusetts, medical purchase was approved in 2012 and adult-use in 2016.

“Things are really changing very rapidly,’’ he said. “The stigma that used to surround cannabis as a product is really disappearing so fast. People of all ages use cannabis for a variety of reasons.’’

Ethos also carries concentrates, edible, vaporizers, tinctures and topicals.

“There is a wide variety of products that can be made using cannabis. People still prefer smoke-able flower above anything else,’’ he said. “And that’s where the quality of our strains shine through.’’

Because cannabis is a federally-illegal substance, every product sold in Massachusetts is produced in Massachusetts. After it’s produced, it goes out for testing by an independent lab. The products are tested for contaminants, bacteria, potency, chemical compounds and terpenes.

“There is also a series of terpenes produced and they affect the flavor, aroma and smoking experience,’’ Hardy said. “It does a lot to dictate flavor profile. It’s really a critical factor that helps consumers as they become more sophisticated.’’

So who are their customers?

“There are certainly plenty who use it recreationally for fun,’’ Hardy said. “It’s a great experience but even an adult use location such as ours, a relatively large portion of our customer base uses it for medical purposes – anxiety, stress, pain. We’re happy to talk them through what products are good for them depending on what they’re looking for and why they are doing it.’’

The Fitchburg location has 40 employees and they are still hiring. A property expansion is also being planned.

Hardy said next year, they are looking to add capacity and product lines to start making edibles and concentrates of their own products.

Ethos is located at 20 Authority Drive in Fitchburg. It can be reached at 978-614-0070 or by visiting https://ethoscannabis.com/dispensary-locations/ma/fitchburg/.