New Boston dispensary a partnership between Calvin Johnson Jr., Rob Sims, and Gosder Cherilus
There was so much raw pro baller energy in the building during the Primitiv opening that we are compelled to use sports cliches in describing the scene.
For starters, the dispensary is in a home-run spot, just steps away from Atlantic Ave on High Street right across from the Greenway.
And then there is the heavy-hitting ownership team of 2021 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Calvin Johnson Jr. and Rob Sims, “former NFL teammates that suffered from the long-term effects of the physical and mental punishment sustained during their playing careers.” Gosder Cherilus, a Boston College alumnus who played for the Detroit Lions with Johnson and Sims, is also on the squad.
Primitiv entered the cannabis wellness space in Michigan in 2021 with its initial products, and opened a dispensary there last year. The High Street shop is their first project in the Bay State, and will be flanked by their CBD-focused product line Primitiv Performance.
For their Boston unveiling, Primitiv broke out the biggest bat of all—David Ortiz. A regular on the cannabis scene promoting his Sweet Sluggers and other Papi Cannabis products, he hobnobbed with old friends and spoke with journalists from English as well as Spanish-language outlets about the joys of weed (afterward, he headed to New Día across from Fenway for a photo op there).
Ortiz’s Sluggers aren’t the only sports-themed products on the menu. In addition to Primitiv’s in-house items, there’s a Gary Payton strain collab between Cookies and Powerzzz Genetics, wellness patches from Freshly Baked, and energy sticks from MyHi, among other picks for the athletic crowd. The rest of the lineup is stacked as well, with top brands including Fernway, Coast, Wana, Happy Valley, House of Cultivar, and Plant Jam among others on hand for Thursday’s festivities.
