Q&A: Cultivate turns recreational cannabis sales back on
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Cultivate's Leicester facility
Adult-use cannabis sales resumed on Memorial Day, following a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. Leicester’s Cultivate was the first recreational pot shop to open in Worcester County, and among those to reopen their doors to adult-use customers on Monday. Over the weekend, spokeswoman Francy Wade spoke to WBJ about the recreational cannabis closure and what the company expects going forward.
What was it like shutting down the adult-use side of Cultivate's operations?
We value the health and safety of our employees, customers and patients above all else. While financially it was difficult, we absolutely believe in doing our part to help our communities stay healthy. We were able to continue providing our patients with the medicine they need and that was really important to us.
How were staff members impacted by the shutdown?
We had a robust increase in staff since 2018. It was very difficult to have layoffs during the COVID crisis, but we expect to be hiring back to pre-pandemic levels very soon.
What does it look like to turn adult-use cannabis manufacturing back on? Did it happen all of a sudden, following Gov. Charlie Baker's reopening announcement?
We have been providing cannabis for our medical patients during the entire freeze on adult-use sales. So while we have been lean in terms of staff levels, we still have product to meet the demand.
To what extent are you expecting a surge of adult-use business in light of the two-month closure?
We have always valued our customers and patients. Now more than ever, we really appreciate seeing them, hearing their voices and making sure — from a safe distance — they are able to find the medicine and products that meet their needs.
We expect a healthy amount of customers, certainly nothing like when we launched back in 2018. But, we have worked closely with the Town of Leicester to have a detail on-hand to prevent any backups.
Was there any key lesson learned throughout the two-month shutdown you hope to take with the company into the future?
We learned so much from the infectious disease scientists we partnered with on how to keep our employees and customers healthy. We will continue to work with specialists going forward to be on the cutting edge of safety protocols and procedures.
This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Staff Writer Monica Busch.
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