wbjournal.com | June 12, 2023 | Worcester Business Journal 3
now. Perhaps, though, they should have
more creative food menus, as I get intense
and odd cravings when I'm high. Pizza,
cake, and grilled cheese, anyone?
– Brad Kane, editor
T
he Massachusetts culture
around the use of marijuana
has come a remarkably long
way in the five years since the
first legal adult-use dispensa-
ries opened in Leicester and Northamp-
ton. Yet, we have a long way to go.
Ahead of the 2016 ballot measure that
led to recreational cannabis legalization,
the state's governor, mayor of its largest
city, and attorney general (now current
governor) were strongly opposed to the
initiative, warning of potential dire conse-
quences. Fast forward to today, nearly 300
dispensaries are open, the conservation
around consumption is shiing from the
medical benefits to the joys of recreation-
al use, those dire consequences never
materialized, and Gov. Maura Healey told
Commonwealth Magazine her 2016 oppo-
sition may have been unnecessary.
As I wrote in this space a year ago, I've
come around on marijuana, too, having
gone from a young adult who lectured his
friends about the supposed ills of getting
high to now being a frequent user of
cannabis edibles. At WBJ, we have regular
conversations about our favorite products
and dispensaries. One of these conversa-
tions directly led to WBJ breaking news on
June 6 about CommCan closing its South-
borough operations amid a consolidation.
In this edition, we examine how far the
business of cannabis has come, particu-
larly how the market went from having
guaranteed large margins for a handful of
operators to now hundreds of companies
pushing prices – and margins – lower and
lower. On page 12, WBJ Correspondent
Monica Benevides writes about how small
businesses are adapting in her "Retail is
king" article. On page 14, WBJ Correspon-
dent Livia Gershon in her "Cannabis comes
of age" feature examines how the industry
and regulators are looking toward the
future, trying to solve the racial inequity in
the industry and looking at the next stage
of businesses, such as cannabis cafes where
public, social consumption is legal.
Looking further into the future, I'd love
to see the stigma around the marijuana
industry entirely dissipate: Dispensaries
would be as common as liquor stores,
discussion around cannabis use would be
as tolerated as drinking wine, and cannabis
cafes would dot the landscape as bars do
A cannabis future without stigma
W
I N T H I S I S S U E
Worcester Business Journal (ISSN#1063-6595) is published bi-weekly,
24x per year, including 4 special issues in May, September, October,
and December by New England Business Media. 172 Shrewsbury
St., Worcester, MA 01604. Periodicals postage paid at Worcester, MA.
Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Postmaster: Please send address
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Worcester Business Journal
WBJ
A division of:
ELEVATE Northeast Events and Education, Inc. is
a woman-founded 501(c)3 nonprofit organization
dedicated to using education as a tool to end stigma
against those who consume and work with cannabis,
and to foster an informed and inclusive industry.
Learn more at elevatene.org
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S
14 Cannabis comes of age
Five years in, questions about
overregulation and equity remain as
regulators eye new issues, such as
cannabis cafes and scientific
research.
19 The high dive into
entrepreneurship
In a touching tribute to her brother,
KnowHow advice columnist Lauren Howe
discusses how to take the plunge into
running your own business and turn it into
a success story.
Editor, Brad Kane,
bkane@wbjournal.com
Staff Writers
Timothy Doyle
tdoyle@wbjournal.com (Real estate,
higher education)
Isabel Tehan, itehan@wbjournal.com
(Health care, diversity & inclusion)
Editorial Intern
Moesha Nugent,
mnugent@wbjournal.com
Contributors
Giselle Rivera-Flores, Laura Finaldi,
Monica Benevides, Alan Earls, Susan
Shalhoub, Livia Gershon
Photgraphers
Matt Wright, Edd Cote
Research Director,
Stephanie Meagher,
smeagher@nebusinessmedia.com
Research Assistant, Heide Martin,
hmartin@nebusinessmedia.com
Production Director, Kira Beaudoin,
kbeaudoin@wbjournal.com
Art Director, Mitchell Hayes,
mhayes@wbjournal.com
Senior Accounts Manager
Christine Juetten,
cjuetten@wbjournal.com
Senior Special Accounts Manager
Mary Lynn Bosiak,
mlbosiak@wbjournal.com
Senior Account Executive
Yasmin Nasrullah,
ynasrullah@wbjournal.com
Marketing & Events Manager
Kris Prosser, kprosser@wbjournal.com
Human Resources Manager,
Tracy Rodwill,
trodwill@nebusinessmedia.com
Accounting Manager, Sara Ward,
sward@nebusinessmedia.com
Accounting Assistant, Rae Rogers,
rrogers@nebusinessmedia.com
Account Receivable Specialist,
Patty Harris, pharris@
nebusinessmedia.com
Audience Development Manager,
Leah Allen, lallen@nebusinessmedia.com
Business Office Assistant,
Nicole Dunn,
ndunn@nebusinessmedia.com
Publisher, CEO, Peter Stanton
pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com
Associate Publisher, Mark Murray
mmurray@wbjournal.com
President, Tom Curtin
tcurtin@hartfordbusinessjournal.com
4 Central Mass. In Brief
12 Focus on Business of Cannabis
17 The List: Largest marijuana businesses
18 Movers & Shakers
19 Know How
20-21 Opinion
22 Shop Talk: Burlap to Boards
