Ethos Cannabis opened its Fitchburg location on Halloween day in 2020 and is already looking to expand.<\/p>\n
The location is ideal, business is strong and the overall cannabis market is growing, said Alex Hardy, president of the Ethos Massachusetts market.<\/p>\n
\u201cSales are building every day,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cWord is getting out. Our reputation as a quality cultivator and knowledgeable staff is getting out there.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Ethos Cannabis has locations in Massachusetts, Maryland and Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s also a cultivation, processing and cultivation site. Hardy said they are looking to add a medical license to Fitchburg location as well.<\/p>\n
Ethos currently sells products from a number of different cultivators throughout Massachusetts and its own product line. Its own product line \u2013 flower strains and pre-rolls, is only available at the Ethos locations.<\/p>\n
Hardy said business is booming as the stigma of cannabis is going away, particularly in Massachusetts.<\/p>\n
\u201cMassachusetts has been one of the leading markets and most progressive markets on the East Coast,\u2019\u2019 Hardy said. \u201cMassachusetts in a lot of ways has led the way.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
In Massachusetts, medical purchase was approved in 2012 and adult-use in 2016.<\/p>\n
\u201cThings are really changing very rapidly,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cThe 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.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Ethos also carries concentrates, edible, vaporizers, tinctures and topicals.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is a wide variety of products that can be made using cannabis. People still prefer smoke-able flower above anything else,\u2019\u2019 he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s where the quality of our strains shine through.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Because cannabis is a federally-illegal substance, every product sold in Massachusetts is produced in Massachusetts. After it\u2019s produced, it goes out for testing by an independent lab. The products are tested for contaminants, bacteria, potency, chemical compounds and terpenes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is also a series of terpenes produced and they affect the flavor, aroma and smoking experience,\u2019\u2019 Hardy said. \u201cIt does a lot to dictate flavor profile. It\u2019s really a critical factor that helps consumers as they become more sophisticated.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
So who are their customers?<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are certainly plenty who use it recreationally for fun,\u2019\u2019 Hardy said. \u201cIt\u2019s 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 \u2013 anxiety, stress, pain. We\u2019re happy to talk them through what products are good for them depending on what they\u2019re looking for and why they are doing it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The Fitchburg location has 40 employees and they are still hiring. A property expansion is also being planned.<\/p>\n
Hardy said next year, they are looking to add capacity and product lines to start making edibles and concentrates of their own products.<\/p>\n