Our new dispensary buying series: Where are the deals for patients?
Prices are still high in Massachusetts, we’re searching for the best products and prices, so you don’t have to
Our past coverage has focused on some of the worst actors in the Massachusetts cannabis industry. We’ve unearthed an alleged sex assault by a cannabis dispensary executive, shocking labor complaints, and all sorts of corporate shenanigans in battles over licensing.
Today we aim to shift our focus a bit to the New England dispensary operators that are actually trying to bring extra value to patients and consumers. Our mission, now more than ever, is to bring the best in medical and adult-use cannabis to our readership.
With new dispensaries opening weekly in Massachusetts our hope is that this periodic guide will inspire new cannabis wholesalers and retailers to compete for consumers and patients based on the quality and the price of their products over the monopolies that some had envisioned.
As Massachusetts adult-use cannabis is taxed heavily and frowns on advertising adult-use discount programs, a medical cannabis card is essential for patients who do not wish to be priced out of the market, a card ensures tax-free cannabis purchases and opens you up to many discount programs that are only available to medical cannabis patients.
The tax savings alone make the yearly cost of a medical card worth it for most patients.
Alternative Wellness Centers is where I received my most recent medical cannabis recommendation.
At Alternative Wellness Centers, medical card consultations and annual renewals are normally $150, AWC currently offers a $25 discount for our members, request your $25 discount when you set the appointment, the cost for recommendation or renewal with the discount is $125.
The Veteran Care Program, started by real-life local hero, Stephen Mandile, offers qualifying disabled veteran patients with a medical cannabis card, 40% off their medical cannabis purchases at 12 different Massachusetts dispensary groups.
Offering the discount are Alternative Compassion Services (Bridgewater), Berkshire Roots (Pittsfield), INSA (Springfield and Easthampton), Bask, Inc. (Fairhaven), Patriot Care (Boston, Springfield and Lowell), The Botanist (Worcester and Shrewsbury), Revolutionary Clinics (Cambridge and Somerville), CommCan Inc (Millis and Southborough), Temescal Wellness (Framingham, Pittsfield, and Hudson), Garden Remedies (Melrose, Newton, Marlborough), Rise (Amherst), and Theory Wellness (Bridgewater, Chicopee, and Great Barrington).
Here are some of our picks, shops with additional offers and discounts to experience for yourself.
Massachusetts Medical:
Berkshire Roots in Pittsfield offers up to $200 back for first-time patients, daily specials, a customer loyalty program, 20-40% off for veterans, and 10% off for those age 62+ or enrolled in SSI.
This Friday, CommCan in Millis and Southborough is offering 20% savings on select CommCan grams, COOKIES and wholesale flowers are not included. Seniors also get 15% off all week.
Curaleaf in Hanover and Oxford offers a 25% discount for first-time patients, a discount of between 22-40% for veterans, a 30% discount for pediatric patients, and 20% off on Industry Mondays.
Ethos in Dorchester and Watertown offers $50 off when you spend $100 on your first four visits, and additional discounts, a 10% discount to students, seniors, and those experiencing financial hardship, and 20% off for veterans. Ethos also offers a happy birthday 20% discount. (*Must visit the day of your birthday)
Mayflower Medicinals in Boston offers $200 back for new patients or recently re-certified patients, as well as 10% off for students, seniors, and those with verified financial hardship; and 15% off for veterans. Mayflower now additionally offers a 5% back rewards program and typically carries a $199 ounce with other rotating product sales.
Northeast Alternatives in Fall River offers 25% off to veterans, 20% off to disabled patients and industry workers, 10% off to seniors and students, and a Patient’s Choice discount for new patients (stack any or all of their Daily Deals) any day of the week, a free pre-roll on your birthday, and daily specials found here.
Panacea Wellness in Middleborough offers 20% off for new patients, 25% for new veteran patients, and a noteworthy 35% off for veterans on Wednesdays.
Panacea also has 10% discounts for those on SSI & SSDI or for patients who are age 65+. Discounts can not be combined with other offers.
SIRA Naturals, Somerville, offers 25% off for new patients, a 20% veteran discount, and 10% for seniors, and those with an SSI card with verified income below 300% of federal poverty guidelines. SIRA will also often advertise specials through their VIP text list which you can sign up for here.
Temescal Wellness in Framingham, Hudson, and Pittsfield offers a 20% discount for a patient’s first-time purchase, 15% off for those who are also on either Massachusetts Medicaid (Mass Health) or are receiving Social Security (SSI) or Social Security Disability (SSDI) benefits, and a 22% discount for all US veterans on all products, every purchase, no-limits or minimums.
Additionally, all three Temescal Wellness MA locations offer a 40% discount for veterans with a 100% SC rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans must be registered as a patient with the Massachusetts Medical Use of Marijuana Program and need to bring with them:
DOD common access card (CAC) DD Form 2765
Or VA ID card, along with a copy of your Commissary Letter printed from https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage
Verilife in Wareham offers 15% off to new patients, veterans, seniors, and those on SSI/SSDI.
Maine: Medical cannabis caregiver shops
Another big benefit of having a Massachusetts medical cannabis card, it’s legally accepted in the state of Maine for medical cannabis purchases there as well.
In New England, Maine offers the widest selection of medical cannabis products at a large price discount to what is found in Massachusetts shops. Visiting patients from neighboring states are often blown away by the products and pricing. I definitely have been. Told Mass Live that shopping in Maine for medical cannabis as a Massachusetts patient was like experiencing a great Christmas for the first time as a child.
Maine’s medical program is largely supplied by thousands of licensed caregivers, a small craft cottage industry in the state. Some of the licensed medical caregivers also run retail shops that serve medical cannabis patients from all over New England.
But there’s always a catch: The products in Maine are not subject to the same sort of mandatory testing programs that Massachusetts requires. This might partially explain why it’s not as expensive, with less red tape.
Another difference between Maine and Massachusetts is local taxes. Neither state taxes medical cannabis on the state level but what’s different in Maine is that some cities and towns do collect a small tax on medical cannabis products. It’s substantially less than the Massachusetts adult-use tax.
I’ve included a few of the shops that I’ve either been a satisfied customer of or received good feedback about.
Green Truck Farms, North Berwick, offers a free pre-roll to new patients. Green Truck also offers a rewards program with 2% cashback with no expiration. Points are not credited for purchases with point redemptions.
Marks Organix, Kittery, offers a wide selection of products and sub-$200 ounces as well as daily deals, and unadvertised free gifts (edibles and/or pre-rolls) with a minimum purchase.
Your Green Thumb Caregivers, Kittery, is women-owned and offers a customer loyalty program as well as 10% off for orders picked up during early bird hours daily between 7-8:30am.
I’ve personally shopped for cannabis flowers at YGT many times and have always been pleased by the prices and the quality of the selection offered.
Sweet Dirt Medicinals in Elliot offers 15% off to new patients, a 10% industry discount, and 20% off to veterans.
“Veterans please bring DD-214, Department of Veterans Affair card, or Military ID with an expiration date.”
Sweet Dirt also routinely offers a well-rounded selection of flower cannabis starting at $185 an ounce and currently is running a special on extracts, buy any four extract grams (not including rosin) or carts and get the fifth for free.
Cannabis Cured in Bangor and Thomaston offers “Daily Deals”, including a 5% off “Flower Friday”, and a free pre-roll with a $50 purchase on “Toke Tuesdays”.
Maine: Medical cannabis delivery
Organic Goods in Eliot offers 15% off for first-time patients and free local delivery of a wide selection of medical cannabis products including a not advertised on the menu but always available, $120 popcorn/shake ounce. Deliveries typically come with a surprise, free edible, pre-roll, or gram of flower included.
Maine: Adult Use
Landrace Cannabis in Portland offers 10% off for medical cardholders and Veterans.
Landrace also currently offers 5% off concentrates on Thursdays, $5 off every 1/8th of flower on Fridays, and 5% off edibles on Saturdays.
Massachusetts: Adult Use
Canna Provisions, in Holyoke and Lee, home of a living legend-Chemdog, offers a wide selection of flowers, extracts, and edibles. Canna Provisions is currently offering volume discounts on flowers and extracts between the hours of 8-10am and 6-8pm, and late-night pre-roll deals at their Holyoke location which is open to a customer-friendly 11pm. Canna Provisions also currently offers an affordable $10 1g pre-roll from Curaleaf.
Cape Ann Cannabis, in the town of Rowley, is offering a unique rewards program, customers receive $5 back on every $100 spent, which can be used for the purchase of cannabis accessory products.
Green Star Herbals in Dracut offers tiered flower pricing, between $285-340 an ounce before tax.
Lazy River Products also in Dracut currently offers an after-tax $280 ounce of Mandarin Cookies flower from Happy Valley.
Massachusetts: Adult Use Delivery
Massachusetts adult-use delivery is still brand new so the offerings are sparse.
Freshly Baked, Taunton, is veteran-owned and offers a full menu of edibles and flowers for adult-use delivery in southeastern Massachusetts.
Berkshire Roots, East Boston, is offering a new service, ZipRun for pick-up orders, use ZIpRun to schedule a pickup from Berkshire Roots and receive a credit for $2.99 toward a future delivery through Zip Run.
We Can Deliver Boston, coming soon.
If you are a reader looking for coverage in your area, let us know by commenting which cities, towns, or dispensaries you’d like to see coverage of, leave a comment or reply to our email.
If you are a dispensary that wishes to have your specials, deals, discounts, sales, news, products shared in our future releases, send us an email at mjcboston1@yahoo.com
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