A medical and recreational dispensary in Uxbridge that is worth the ride—especially on Tuesdays
A few months ago, we got the idea to classify certain pot shops as “destination dispensaries.” That is to say stores that are worth taking a long drive to get to. As we explained, the lure could be due to its products, niche, location, or some other standout trait—but in the best cases, they feature most or all of the above.
One big inspiration for the series was Blackstone Valley Cannabis in Uxbridge. A split recreational and medical facility with a fantastically stinky grow on site, it’s already a regular destination for many who head there on “Twelve-Dollar Tuesdays” for doorbusters. As we experienced on a visit earlier this year, there’s even more to the charm up close in person—from unique airtight aluminum tins for flower, to smackingly crushable gummies that are some of the best in the state.
“ A big part of building this facility was to think about how we exist in cannabis in 2035 in a fully mature market, and how do we add value and help grow the ecosystem.” BVC Founder Andrew Gold showed us around. He continued: “We invested in a really small batch cultivation facility and a lot of downstream production capabilities so that we can produce finished goods for the rest of the industry and let people with different skill sets focus on what they do best.”
Before starting BVC, Gold worked with early Mass canna companies going back to the days when licensees were established as nonprofits. He retraced for us: “I saw the transformation that the industry went through as it was allowed to switch from nonprofit to for-profit and how that kind of exponential growth took off with insane valuations and really cheap cost of capital.”
In observing what he described as a “capitalistic free open market,” Gold asked, How do we go out and build a business that stands for the right things, [so] that we don’t compromise our values and our integrity for the sake of capitalism or for the sake of profit taking? The answer he landed on: “Build a business that [is] modest in size for relative supply,” and “produce stuff that’s very, very high quality.”
With Blackstone coming up on its fourth anniversary, a major feat in this fiercely competitive space, we checked out the resulting operation—from its thousand-watt high-pressure sodium grow lights, to the insulated metal panels and automated pre-roll production. And of course the weed: Muff Berry, an outrageous Lemon X cut, Super Soaker for the fume fiends.
“We set ourselves up to be able to produce very, very high quality distillate as well as rosin too,” Gold said. They’re the kind of products that remind him of what “brought us to cannabis in the first place—the fact that it’s such a powerful resource and has the ability to have such a positive impact on so many people’s lives.” It’s a major aspiration, sure, but one that’s fitting for this kind of destination.
If you’re interested in making the trip to Uxbridge, Blackstone has its fourth anniversary party on Aug. 15, from 3pm to 8pm, featuring vendors, clones, raffles, and special pricing. While you’re in the area, we also recommend checking out Caroline’s Cannabis, another shop worth driving to in a region that could take you a few days to enjoy all the great dispensaries.
