Newton’s Third Marijuana Shop To Open Next Month

NEWTON, MA — Newton’s third cannabis dispensary is getting ready to open its doors next month at 1089 Washington Street, joining Garden Remedies and Redi as the city’s first marijuana shops.

Ascend Newton, operated by Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc., will be the second Ascend location in Massachusetts and plans to celebrate its grand opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony in early December.

Located in an approximately 5,000-square-foot space, the store will be one of the first AWH retail locations to offer delivery services within a 25-mile radius and anticipates it will create about 50 jobs for the Newton community.

“With 2021 Massachusetts cannabis sales expected to more than double from last years’ total,we’re excited to bring Ascend’s high-end retail experience and robust product offering toNewton,” said Andrea Cabral, CEO of Ascend Massachusetts, in a statement. ”We’re also proud to launch our first delivery service, which increases consumer access to premium cannabis products for those in Middlesex County and Downtown Boston.”

"We are committed to diverse, local hiring and look forward to building relationships and supporting the local Newton residents,” she continued.

Ascend Newton will carry a selection of premium products from AWH-owned brands Ozone and Ozone Reserve, partner brands Lowell Smokes and Flower by Edie Parker, and third-party brands 1906 and AiroPro. Customers can make appointments for in-store ordering and order online for pick-up or delivery.

Recreational cannabis sales in Massachusetts have already exceeded last year’s total and are expected to reach $1.2 billion in 2021 and up to $2.6 billion by 2025, according to AWH. Adult-use sales have passed $2 billion in total since the market launched less than three years ago.

So, what’s the update on marijuana in Newton?

In November 2018, Newton voters rejected both a proposed ban on recreational marijuana shops and limiting the number of shops to 2-4, according to unofficial Election Night results. Newton now has a total of eight licenses to give out.

Newton’s first adult-use retail marijuana store, Garden Remedies, opened at 697 Washington Street in May 2019. Since opening, the store has sold to customers by appointment only, but was recently given permission by the City Council to remove the appointment-only condition.

The city’s second adult-use retail marijuana store, Redi, opened at 24 Eliot Street in July 2021. According to Redi’s Special Permit approved by the City Council, customers must have an appointment to shop or pick-up products for at least the first six months of operation.

Along with Ascend Newton, five other businesses are attempting to opening cannabis stores in the city. Union Twist and MedMen have approved Special Permits from the City Council and are moving forward with the state Cannabis Control Commission licensing approval process. Green Lady, Verilife, and Nuestra do not yet have their Special Permits, which are necessary prior to moving forward.

Cannabis delivery operators

Earlier this year, the Newton City Council voted to adopt zoning updates to allow for delivery operators, which are not subject to the same requirements or license cap as brick-and-mortar cannabis retailers. These operations are limited to manufacturing and limited manufacturing zoning districts and are not permitted to have on-site retail.

Requests to establish a delivery operator business are first considered by the Host Community Advisory Group before being sent to the mayor. If the mayor approves the Host Community Agreement, the delivery operator is still subject to building and parking requirements and must be approved for a license by the CCC.

Newton currently has three prospective cannabis delivery operators. Emerald Tuttle and Blue Sky Organics have been approved by Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and Rolling Re-Leaf is still in the early stages of applying.

In each delivery operator agreement, the city will receive 100% of the 3% local sales tax and an additional 3% of sales through a community impact fee for at least five years.