Enlite Cannabis opened earlier in November in Northampton. It is referred to as the first minority-owned cannabis dispensary from Western Massachusetts. It is situated on Damon Road, near where the Calvin Coolidge Bridge spans the Connecticut River between Northampton and Hadley. After the opening, it will apply for the certification social equity program of the Cannabis control commission program. It will be the first dispensary in the western part applying for this certification. The social equity program of the cannabis control commission offers training and technical assistance to the people affected by harsh drug enforcement.
Furthermore, the social equity program is made to assist people from communities facing drug enforcement to enter the legal cannabis sector. The participants will offer technical assistance and training with an expedited license review process.
Yee, Picknelly, and Cutting families own Enlite locally. The Cutting said three families are longtime friends with backgrounds in local business and entertainment. However, in November, the dispensary held a week-long grand opening as a cannacopia celebration. The event showcased and featured several product demos, local artists, food trucks, and several other marijuana brands from around the region. The event is open to people over the age of 21. Some of the major guests in the events are Hot Oven Cookies, Holyoke Hummus, White Hut, Sira Naturals, Levia, Treeworks, Resinate, NEA, Church, Ascend MA Wellness Holding, INSA, Cultivate, and CannaBizViews. The Ribbon cutting ceremony was done by Mayor David.
However, it is the eighth cannabis dispensary for recreational customers. Also, Enlite plans to set up a dispensary in Springfield. The company is looking forward to offering delivery in future and is expecting some modifications in state regulations to allow for social consumption sites. Further, he said that the social equality program is not very successful due to the significant challenges in the cannabis sector like banking is not available to the dispensary and small businesses as marijuana are still federally illegal.
Enlite presents more than 200 menu items. The dispensary has partnered with local vendors to grow, operate, and work with Enlite. The perception of cannabis users has significantly transformed in recent years, and customers are seeking the benefits of marijuana globally, like offering better sleep, anxiety relaxation, pain management, and several others. He said the black market is still the biggest competition.
The staff at Elite are taking a step forward to educate people about the benefits and applications of cannabis while legitimizing the industry and the plant.